Tyler Perry paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Sydney Poitier during the Oscars' In Memoriam segment.
Tyler Perry paid tribute to Sydney Poitier
The 52-year-old actor-and-director insisted he "would not be here" today without the 'Lilies of the Field' legend - who made history in 1964 as the first Black winner of the Best Actor accolade - and highlighted how inspirational he had been to so many people of colour.
Tyler said of the star, who died in January aged 94: "He was the first, and for far too long, the only, Black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor. When he stood on that stage, he did more than shatter a barrier. He stood there for all that came before him, and sparked the dreams of all who followed.
"I would not be here today without Sidney. All of us are so blessed and honored to have been inspired by him. To you, sir, with all of our love."
Bill Murray also took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday (27.03.22) to pay tribute to his 'Ghostbusters' director Ivan Reitman, who passed away last month aged 75.
He joked of his friend's upbringing: When Ivan Reitman was 10 years old, his parents gave him a sleeping pill, wrapped him in a blanket and put him beneath the deck of a boat to escape Czechoslovakia."
He then continued: "He made some movies, some really good movies, married a pretty girl and raised some children and they make movies too. Ivan I love your work."
Jamie Lee Curtis brought a puppy on stage with her as she remembered the late Betty White's love of animals.
She said: “She was not only a Golden Girl, she was a legend who brightened every room she walked in and brought a smile to the faces of all who watched on her on the screen and day in and day out for almost a century, she was a woman who cared not just for her two-legged friends but for animals just like this.
“So the greatest gift you could give Betty White is to open your heart and home and adopt a rescue dog just like Mac’N’Cheese from Paw Works. Thank you Betty, for being a friend to us all.”
A montage on the screens also highlighted other members of the filmmaking world who have passed away over the last year, including William Hurt, Michael K. Williams, Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman, Dean Stockwell, Jean-Marc Vallee, Peter Bogdanovich and Richard Donner.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins - who was tragically killed when a gun went off on the set of 'Rust' in October - was also included in the segment.
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