Sidney Poitier, the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor, has died at age 94.
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and Poitier had a relationship that went back several years, he told KCBS Radio's Holly Quan and Eric Thomas and KCBS Insider Phil Matier, Friday Morning.
They originally met through Sammy Davis Jr., whom Brown made a lot of connections through over the years.
Poitier truly was the first major Black movie star. "He was not a crossover, he was really the first genuine, method Black actor," said Brown. "He was not a singer, he was not a former athlete, he was really an actor."
He was an actor dedicated to his craft in the same way other actors of his generation were, he just happened to be Black, said Brown.
Not only did he pave the way for other Black actors to enter the Hollywood scene, but he also provided a stepping stone for Black directors and producers, he said.
A couple of Poitier's films, most notably, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" were set in San Francisco, but he was truly a Los Angelino at heart, said Brown.
Although a trailblazer in the movie industry, he shied away from the activism and politics of the time. "He obviously did what he needed to do and what he thought was his role," said Brown.
"He lived the life of an actor, period," Brown added.
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