The Hollywood Reporter (Weekly)
‘He Represents the Best of Who We All Are’
Cheryl Boone Isaacs, former president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and director of a new film school named after Sidney Poitier, honors the actor’s legacy: ‘He had an energy of such peace and brilliance’
As the founding director of the Sidney Poitier New American Film School at Arizona State University, Sidney Poitier’s passing on Jan. 6 acutely reminded me of the impact he’s had on the film industry and the Black community as a whole.
Before Sidney became a name in the film industry, there were few opportunities for people of color. He often commented on how he was the only Black person on film sets and in production meetings. I was able to walk through many doors in my career because Sidney — as well as Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Suzanne de Passe and my late brother, Ashley — walked through them first.
My first impression upon meeting Sidney, many decades ago, was that he was a gentleman. Even though he was already a major star, he didn’t project better than or bigger than; he immediately gave me a sense of comfort and ease. He had an energy of such peace and brilliance. When he spoke with you, you felt as though you were the only one in the room. His confidence and compassion were extraordinary in that they were absolutely genuine.
In 2002, 38 years after Sidney won his Oscar for best actor for his role in Lilies of the Field,
I had the honor of being in the audience, as a member of the Academy’s board of governors, when Sidney was presented with an honorary Oscar for contributions to cinema. Later that evening, Denzel Washington and Halle Berry were awarded Oscars for best actor and best actress. All of this was possible because Sidney had paved the way.
In 2013, after serving on the Academy’s board of governors for 21 years, I became the first Black person, and third woman, elected
president of the Academy, and served four one-year terms, the maximum tenure allowed. During my second and third years, there were no Black nominees in any of the four acting categories. The Academy already had begun working to increase inclusion in our membership — I launched the A2020 Initiative to double the number of women and people from underrepresented communities by 2020 — but in January 2015, #OscarsSoWhite lit a fire that accelerated those changes. As a result,
“When he spoke with you, you felt as though you were the only one in the room.”
the Academy membership has grown in ways that were unimaginable when Sidney received his Oscar in 1964.
During my terms as president, I was honored with numerous awards, but two — the Trailblazer Award from Essence magazine and the YWCA Greater Los Angeles Silver Achievement Award — stand out because they were presented to me by Sidney (who was joined by Oprah Winfrey at the Essence event).
Sidney represents the best of who we all are, and while his passing is extremely sad, it is an important reminder for us to celebrate the amazing impact he has had on our industry and on so many people of color around the world, including me. He was one of my biggest supporters throughout my career, I was honored to call him a friend, and I look forward to carrying on his legacy at the Sidney Poitier New American Film School.