Michelle Williams Supports Busy Philipps After Brain Surgery

Actress Michelle Williams honored her longtime friend Busy Philipps during her acceptance speech at the Actor Awards on March 1, just one night before Philipps underwent brain surgery in New York.

Williams won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for her role in Dying for Sex, in which she plays a woman with terminal cancer who explores her sexuality with the support of her best friend. During her speech, Williams said, “To the Nikki to my Molly—Busy—I love you.”

Philipps later told PEOPLE that the timing was especially meaningful because Williams had won the award for portraying a character who dies of cancer while Philipps was preparing for surgery.

Philipps was diagnosed with a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a type of brain tumor, after noticing symptoms and getting a scan in February. Doctors were able to remove the tumor completely, and she said she does not need chemotherapy or radiation. She will have scans every three months for the next two years to check for any recurrence.

Philipps also said Williams supported her throughout the health scare, including bringing food to her home after the surgery. “My brain does not feel broken anymore,” Philipps told PEOPLE.

The two actresses, who starred together on Dawson’s Creek, also recently mourned their costar James Van Der Beek, who died of colorectal cancer at age 48.