Oprah WinfreyandCherare rememberingSidney Poitieras a poignant figure, both in Hollywood and in their lives.
For Cher, 76, the music and acting legend said her favorite thing about Poitier was “that he was so easy to make blush.”
And while they “didn’t have a long history,” Cher told PEOPLE, “I felt we had a nice history. When he came to some barbecues that I had, [his wifeJoanna Shimkus] was all smiles and whatever, and he was game, he was going for it, but he was a little bit like that. But it was a tough crowd.”
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Cher and Oprah Winfrey at the premiere ofSidney.Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock
Poitier — a trailblazing actor/director and activist who, in 1964, became thefirst Black actorto win the Oscar for Best Actor — died in January, at age 94.
From left: Oprah Winfrey, Sidney Poitier, Cher.Jon Kopaloff/Getty; Kurt Krieger/Corbis/Getty; Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Beyond acting, Poitier was an advocate who fought for civil rights, often alongside his close friend of nearly 80 years,Harry Belafonte. They helped organize the March on Washington and planMartin Luther King Jr.’s memorial after his assassination.
RELATED VIDEO: Sidney Poitier, First Black Man to Win Best Actor Oscar and a Titan of Cinema, Dead at 94
Shortly after Poitier’s death,Deadlinereported that Apple Original Films was producing a feature about him, with Winfrey signed on as an executive producer through Harpo Productions and Network Entertainment.
According to the outlet, the media mogul and Apple teamed up for documentary over a year ago. Poitier’s family also participated in the project, with Reginald Hudlin directing.
In a statement toVarietyafter his death, Poitier’s family said, “To us Sidney Poitier was not only a brilliant actor, activist and a man of incredible grace and moral fortitude, he was also a devoted and loving husband, a supportive and adoring fatherand a man who always put familyfirst.”
“He is our guiding light who lit up our lives with infinite love and wonder,” they added.
source: people.com
