Can't remember if I posted this before but I got to meet Mr. Poitier a few years back. It was at a screening of the film, "MacArthur Park," directed by one of my best friends and starring his daughter, Sydney. I'm also in it but in a very brief role as a cop. We did that film over 20 years ago, so it must have been around that time.
My friend Billy, (the director), was in "Children of the Dust" with Sydney and they were tight. At any rate, I've met damn near everyone in the film industry at least briefly and I can count on my balls how many of those encounters really meant anything to me. Sydney Poitier was a god to me since I was a little kid and saw, "To Sir With Love." Later, I saw some of his other films. I'm not BSing you, it was like meeting the Pope for me.
He was just leaning against the wall of the theater after the screening, trying to stay in the background and let his beautiful daughter have her moment in the sun. He was a proud papa, for sure. Since he was actually alone, I gathered my courage and went over and introduced myself. Believe it if you want but I am generally not intimidated by anyone, even really great people. Still, I was a little star-struck.
So I introduced myself as a friend of Billy's and said that I was a huge fan of his, etc. Complimented his daughter in the film, (she really was quite good). He was super friendly and nice, big smile, we had a nice short conversation and then I let him off the hook and excused myself. It was the kind of encounter that people like that have every day of their life and once in a lifetime for the other person. So rarely have I just been a pure fan, just a freaking teenaged girl when I met someone. I went home feeling like I could die and it would be ok.
That's my Sidney story...The End.