Keanu Reeves holds a special place in Octavia Spencer‘s heart and it all started with a chance encounter in the late 1990s.

During a virtual appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Help actress shared how she had to scrap a 50th birthday retreat with friends and colleagues in Hawaii in May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, her friends organized a special birthday video that included the likes of her famous friends Chris Evans and Katy Perry.

To her surprise, Keanu Reeves contributed a video that left in tears, in part, because The Matrix actor had come to her rescue in her time of need more than two decades ago.

Emotional: Octavia Spencer revealed she cried tears of joy when she received a special 50th birthday video from Keanu Reeves

Of course I started crying like a baby, like, “Keanu!” It was so fabulous,’ Spencer recalled with obvious excitement and emotion.

‘He’s somebody I like and my friends know that and it was like the sweetest thing.’

It turns out Reeves was the first celebrity she met after she moved from Alabama to Los Angeles in 1997 to pursue acting.

Birthday bust! The actress talked about how her 50th birthday celebration with friends and colleagues in May had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic during a virtual appearance on Jimmy Kimmel! Live

Celebrity crush: ‘Of course I started crying like a baby, like, “Keanu!” It was so fabulous,’ Spencer recalled with obvious excitement and emotion.

I had an audition and my car broke down and no one would help me because my car was so dirty until Keanu Reeves,’ Spencer revealed during an interview on The Meredith Vieira Show in 2014.

‘He was on a motorcycle and had his little motorcycle helmet and sunglasses and was like, “Hey, you need some help?” And I kid you not, I was gonna have him get in and I was gonna push it and he was like, “No no I’m gonna push you.” And I’m thinking, “Oh he’s gonna touch my car!”‘

In the wake of his kind gesture, Spencer says she makes a point to go to all of Reeves’ movies ‘every opening weekend because ‘that was a sweet thing to do’.

Chance meeting: It turns out Reeves was the first celebrity Spencer met after she moved from Alabama to Los Angeles in 1997 to pursue acting

Real life hero: Previously, Spencer told the story of how Reeves helped her when her car broke down right after she arrived in Los Angeles in 1997 to pursue acting

Just last month, when Reeves turned 56, Spencer took to her Instagram page and shared a special birthday tribute to him, which included a photo of the John Wick star.

‘Wishing this handsome devil a happy birthday today,’ she began in the caption before sharing about her special 50th birthday video.

‘Imagine my surprise when my friends had to think outside of the box for my 50th this year because our plans changed due to the pandemic.’

She added, ‘Let’s just say #KeanuReeves made my big day very special. #OneOfAKind’

Right back at you: Spenser shared her own birthday tribute to Reeves on Instagram when he turned 56 in September