Hollywood mourns the loss of Sidney Poitier: ‘This is a big one’

A guiding light.
A landmark actor.
An absolute legend.
The best of the best.

There’s no shortage of praise and accolades pouring in Friday after the death of trailblazing actor Sidney Poitier at age 94.

Among those expressing condolences: Morgan Freeman, Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Iger, Maria Shriver, Magic Johnson and Bernice King, daughter of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., to name a few.

“Sidney was my inspiration, my guiding light, my friend,” Freeman wrote. “Sending love to Joanna and his family.”

“This is a big one. 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!!! It was an honor…,” Davis wrote, posting a picture of herself and her husband with Poitier at a lunch at Spago.

“You told us, ‘If your dreams do not scare you, they’re not big enough’!” Davis continued. “I put this quote on my daughter’s wall. Rest well Mr. Poitier. Thank you! Thank you for leaving a legacy. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

“If you wanted the sky i would write across the sky in letters that would soar a thousand feet high.. To Sir… with Love,” Goldberg tweeted, referencing the lyrics to the title song of Poitier’s 1967 film. “Sir Sidney Poitier R.I.P. He showed us how to reach for the stars.”

“Sidney Poitier was a unique man. An award-winning actor, a mentor, and someone who moved through life with elegance and class. I was honored to know him and his wife Joanna and to watch him move through his life,” former first lady of California Maria Shriver wrote, adding, “Sidney touched the lives of so many. My prayers are with his beautiful family at this private moment.

“Powerful beyond the stage and screen,” King tweeted, posting a May 1968 photo of Poitier participating in the Poor People’s Campaign at “Resurrection City” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Many others noted his place as a leader in the fight for racial equality. Comic W. Kamau Bell wrote, “He opened every door and blazed every trail for every Black entertainer who followed him. And he did it with grace. And he knew the battle wasn’t just about getting onscreen.”

“Immediately dispelling the perverted, obscene, and misinformed notion of white supremacy in every beautifully human, artistic and dignified way = Sidney Poitier,” Mark Ruffalo tweeted.

“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,” actor George Takei wrote.

Some actors mentioned the role he played in their professional development, with actor Paul Wesley noting that he had read Poitier’s autobiography years ago “and it was quite the inspiration.”

“Your work has inspired many young actors that it is possible to dream and that those dreams can come true. My self included,” actor Kirk Acevedo wrote. “The first monologue I ever did was from ‘A Raisin In The Sun’ to get into High School Of The Performing Arts. THANK YOU.”

“In this moment, words are insufficient. But it must be said that I am filled with profound humility & gratitude that you allowed me into your life and inner circle of family and friends over the many years,” actor Blair Underwood wrote, posting a photo of himself and Poitier on Instagram.

And at least one person was angry on top of her grief.

“So this our new normal, huh? Every week we’ll be losing a legend?! This is what it is now?! Dammit! I hate this,” comic and TV host Yvette Nicole Brown wrote. “And yes, I know 94 is a long life but I’m sad, okay? I wanted him and @IAmCicelyTyson and @BettyMWhite & #GarryMarshall and #MamaFran here forever.”

Keep reading for more reactions from Hollywood and beyond.

“Sidney Poitier was full of grace in every aspect of his life .. He opened doors with a BOOM that came from his gentle soul RIP.” — actor Henry Winkler

“#SidneyPoitier, your last sunset with us is the dawn of many generations rising in the path of light you blazed. We will always hold you in our hearts and forever speak your name.” — choreographer and actor Debbie Allen

“What a landmark actor. One of a kind. What a beautiful, gracious, warm, genuinely regal man. RIP, Sir. With love.” — actor Jeffrey Wright

“Sidney Poitier. An absolute legend. One of the greats.” — actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt

“Sidney Poitier – best of the best RIP.” — actor Mia Farrow

“Sir #SidneyPoitier, your brilliant light will never dim. The doors you opened and paths you created will continue to make way for those with a dream. You showed the world that with vision and grace, all is possible.” — actor and musician Lenny Kravitz

“Your excellence will always be the benchmark. Rest in divine peace, Bahamian King. My love and condolences go out to your beautiful family. #SidneyPoitier.” — Kravitz

Sidney Poitier attends Vanity Fair’s 2014 Oscar party in West Hollywood.

(Larry Busacca / VF14/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)

“When he answered an ad for actors, as an illiterate young man, the theatre owner sneered: ‘Go be a dishwasher.’ Sidney already was a dishwasher. Stung by the jibe, he vowed to prove him wrong. He became the first black man to win the Best Actor Oscar.” — TV presenter Piers Morgan

“RIP #SidneyPoitier A consistent and extraordinary example of talent, grace and elegance.” — musician Richard Marx

“Nuance and power, humour and grit — Sidney Poitier had it all. Imagine what it meant to see him on the big screen in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Every word, every gesture was an inspiration.” — Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey

“I once had the honor to shake Sidney Poitier’s hand. May he Rest in Power knowing he was loved and trailblazer in our industry who lit up the screen with his talent.” — actor Cary Elwes