Below is the list of tables from the database along with their columns and datatype. Need to generate an accurate SQL query for the question.
Only use the columns present in the respective table. Only use the columns which are required to generate the SQL query. Only use table joins if required and not otherwise.

### Tables ###
TABLE: CREATE TABLE table_26240046_1 ( season_3 INTEGER, played_by VARCHAR )

### Question ###
How many season 3 appearances by the character played by Stefan Van Ray?

### Accurate SQL ###

SELECT MIN(season_3) FROM table_26240046_1 WHERE played_by = "Stefan van Ray"