Halle Berry Honors Legendary Actor Sidney Poitier

Halle Berry paid tribute to the late legendary actor Sidney Poitier.

The Monster's Ball actor shared a heartfelt message about her "decades of friendship" with the cinema trailblazer, who died Thursday at the age of 94. Among his many achievements, Poitier was the first Black man to receive an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, for his performance in the 1963 film Lilies of the Field.

Alongside the message, the Bruised actor posted a picture of herself and the actor, in which Poitier holds Berry's hand.

"'A tiny bit of myself is lost when my friends are gone,'" Sidney Poitier wrote in his book LIFE BEYOND MEASURE. My dear Sidney, an enormous part of my soul weeps at your passing. In your ninety-four years on this planet, you left an indelible mark with your extraordinary talent, paving the way for Black people to be seen and heard in the fullness of who we are. You were an iconic trailblazer; yours was a life well lived."

"I grew up idolizing you and will always remember the day when I first met you. It is the only time in my life when I’ve been rendered speechless! There I sat, with my words glued together, and you were as gracious and charming then as you would be during our decades of friendship to follow.

"Rest in peace, beloved Sidney. You are and always will be the true measure of a man," she wrote.

In a joint Hollywood Reporter interview in 2010, the pair reflected on the 2002 Oscars, when Berry became the first Black woman to win Best Supporting Actress. Poitier also received an Honorary Award that night, and was there for the historic win.

"I was out of my mind, semi-conscious," Berry told the outlet. "But it was almost as if Sidney had a light on his head because he was in the balcony and I saw him standing up, and I have that very clear memory."

Poitier added, "I was elated. You have to understand what an important moment it was. We are all still looking for fundamental acceptance."

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