You have to read this heartwarming story about The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson

You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat the people around them, no matter how unimportant they may seem – and this story about Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson will warm your heart.

Silicon Valley and The Big Sick star Kumail Nanjiani has shared a lovely anecdote about the Star Wars director that dates back five years, when Johnson was at Comic Con and Nanjiani was a mere red carpet reporter.

THREAD: I know y'all don't need another reason to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but I'm gonna give you one more. This is a story about its director, @rianjohnson, & why he's awesome. In 2012, before Silicon Valley, I got a job doing interviews on the red carpet at Comic Con.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

It turned out this was actually a pretty rough gig…

I'd never done red carpet interviews before, but it was decent money & it would give me a way to go to Comic Con. The job turned out to be very tough. I was running from red carpet to red carpet, interviewing people who were sometimes rude, sometimes fine, always disinterested.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

Btw, I completely get the disinterested part. They'd been doing press all day & I was 1 of like a 100 interviews they had that day. I get it. The job was tough cuz sometimes I'd only get 40 secs w someone & had to give my producers something usable, otherwise it was a total bust.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

1 person, who shall go unnamed, was so rude to me & made me feel so stupid that I got a talking to from my producer (I totally get the prod being upset btw.) I wasn't able to get anything usable cuz he just mocked me, dismissed me, walked away. I bet he doesn't remember. I do.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

After that awful encounter, we run across to the red carpet for Looper/Total Recall. Still upset by the encounter. They hand me the list of ppl walking down the carpet that I'll be interviewing. After a couple of people, Rian walks up. I love his work, I'm a huge fan of his.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

Then disaster strikes…

But, in the moment, I say "Can't wait to see the remake of Total Recall you're directing." I know Looper. I'm excited for it. I know his work. It was just 1 of those stupid brain things. He says "I wish! I did Looper." I'm mortified. My ears turn hot, my producer gives me a look.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

Uh oh! But did Johnson throw a hissy fit? Did he roll his eyes and walk away? No, he did not.

I'm like "Dammit. I messed up another interview & look like a fool in front of someone I'm a huge fan of." But, instead of being upset, he started laughing. Not in an "at me" way. In a "with me" way. He saw how upset I was, put his hand on my shoulder, laughing.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

He truly went out of his way to make me feel ok, to make me not feel like a loser. He didn't have to. He could have just been cold after that, not made such an attempt to lift me up. I would have understood. He doesn't know me from Adam. But he helped someone in crises just cuz.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

It truly meant so much to me in that moment, on that specific day. Especially right after someone w a millionth of his talent had dressed me down for no reason. I got the interview, finished out the worst Comic Con I've ever had & went home.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

My two take-aways from the weekend were: 1. Red carpet interviews are tough & I'm bad at them & 2. Rian Johnson is a good dude. (This is why I try & be nice on the carpet & give usable interviews, no matter how tired I am. If I've ever been rude or dismissive, I apologize.)

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

Years later, when Nanjiani was a star in his own right, they met again – and Johnson remembered exactly what went down.

I told him how much his kindness meant to me. He said it was no big deal. But it was a big deal to me. You can tell a lot about someone by how they are to ppl they don't have to be nice to. He didn't have to be nice. I was just some scrub who'd gotten his film wrong. But he was.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 12, 2017

What a guy…

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released in UK cinemas on 14th December