Tributes pour in for Sidney Poitier from Hollywood to Washington
Social media was overflowing with grief and gratitude as celebrities shared their thoughts on the death of trailblazing actor, activist and humanitarian Sidney Poitier.
Poitier, who shredded stereotypes and opened the way for Black actors in Hollywood and beyond, died Thursday night at 94.
On Friday, as the word got out, the tributes poured in.
“Sidney was my inspiration, my guiding light, my friend,” tweeted Morgan Freeman. “Sending love to Joanna and his family.”
Also calling Poitier a friend was Oprah Winfrey.
“My honor to have loved him as a mentor,” Winfrey wrote on Instagram, with a photo of them hugging. “Friend. Brother. Confidant. Wisdom teacher. The utmost, highest regard and praise for his most magnificent, gracious, eloquent life. I treasured him. I adored him. He had an enormous soul I will forever cherish.”
“We lost an elegant King today,” tweeted actress Kerry Washington. “Thank you Sidney Poitier. For not only opening the door, but for walking in this world with endless grace and excellence, so that today, still, we follow behind you, reaching toward the example that you set. Rest In Peace and in Power. We love you.”
“Thank you for kicking down the doors,” wrote Taraji P. Henson on Instagram. “Thank you will never be enough for your blood sweat tears and determination. REST IN HEAVENLY PEACE!!! We will tell the generations to come about your legacy!!!”
“He showed us how to reach for the stars,” tweeted actor and “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg, including words from “To Sir With Love,” which he starred in.
Tyler Perry poignantly recalled time spent with Poitier and Cicely Tyson, who died around this time last year.
“All I can tell you is that my heart broke in another place,” he wrote on Facebook and Instagram. “The grace and class that this man has shown throughout his entire life, the example he set for me, not only as a black man but as a human being will never be forgotten. There is no man in this business who has been more of a North Star for me than Sidney Poitier.”
Many reminisced about meeting or working with Poitier.
“This is a big one,” wrote Viola Davis on Instagram. “No words can describe how your work radically shifted my life. The dignity, normalcy, strength, excellence and sheer electricity you brought to your roles showed us that we, as Black folks, mattered!!!”
Poitier’s artistry was extolled.
“Sidney Poitier was an exceptional artist and an extraordinary human being who created change and influence with grace and courage,” Tony Bennett tweeted, with a photo of them together. “It was a thrill to have him join in celebrating my 87th birthday and arts fundraising event. Truly one of a kind and he will be missed.”
Others spoke of Poitier’s impact against racism.
“Immediately dispelling the perverted, obscene, and misinformed notion of white supremacy in every beautifully human, artistic and dignified way = Sidney Poitier,” tweeted Mark Ruffalo, with a photo of Poitier at a Poor People’s Campaign rally in Washington in 1968.
“The star of ‘Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner’ and ‘Lilies of the Field,’ for which he won Best Actor, was a trailblazer who will be mourned by so many for whom he opened the very doors of Hollywood,” tweeted George Takei of “Star Trek” fame.
Sentiment spanned the nation from Hollywood to Washington.
“We were all so lucky to share a culture with Sidney Poitier, and benefit from his hand in shaping it,” wrote former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
