Actor Aaron Douglas says the best $3 he ever spent was on a parking spot so Patrick Stewart could go for a jog

The best three dollars Aaron Douglas (theaarondouglas) says he ever spent was on a parking spot, all so Sir Patrick Stewart could enjoy a jog. As colleagues and friends posted tributes to Stewart online, the “Battlestar Galactica” actor took to Instagram to share his favorite memories of the legendary performer. In his video, Douglas recounted two encounters that stuck with him and showed the kind of man Stewart was.

The first, Douglas shared, was during a “Star Trek” reunion, where he found himself in a stretch limo with Robert Englund, Freddy Krueger himself. Then there was a knock on the door, and Stewart asked if there was room for one more. Douglas said that for the next 20 minutes, he got to listen to Stewart and Englund discuss plays they had seen.

What stuck with Douglas was that when they arrived, Stewart thanked him for “allowing me to ride with you,” as though “I had done something for them.” Douglas’ real story, though, came from years earlier in Vancouver, while he was filming “Battlestar Galactica.”

Douglas spent $3 so Stewart could go for a run

Stewart died at 86, weeks before his final turn as Charles Xavier. Douglas recalled spotting a man looking “discombobulated” near a parking machine at Stanley Park. When he heard the man complain that he didn’t have change, Douglas realized it was Stewart. As soon as Douglas greeted him, Stewart said, “I always love coming to Vancouver because I love going for a run through Lord Stanley’s Park.”

Douglas recalled Stewart explaining, “I just only arrived, and I don’t have any Canadian money, and this takes loonies and toonies.” Douglas had the change, so he fed $3 into the machine to cover a few hours. As Stewart left, Douglas remembers thinking, “I just bought parking so Patrick Stewart could go for a jog around Lord Stanley’s Park.”

Douglas’ fans loved the stories. One user thanked him, noting, “This felt like I was listening to a personal story, told by a friend.” Many joked that they’d be calling it Lord Stanley’s Park from now on, too. Others latched onto the details, with one user writing, “i had no idea Freddie Kruger and Captain Picard were friends.”

Other users shared the moments they had met Stewart themselves. BB&CO Strategic Storytelling notes that sharing anecdotes is a powerful way to honor those who have died and keep them present in people’s memories.

In his post, Douglas said that Stewart was “Everything that you would hope he would be.”