Alex Guarnaschelli's Tribute To Sidney Poitier Has Instagram In Tears

Legendary Hollywood actor Sidney Poitier has died at the age of 94, according to the BBC. Tributes have begun pouring in for Poitier, who was the first Black man to win an Oscar for best actor for his performance in the 1963 film, "Lilies of the Field." Former President Barack Obama shared on Twitter, "Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together," adding that he "opened doors for a generation of actors."

Oprah Winfrey also paid tribute to Poitier on Twitter, calling him her brother, friend, mentor, and much more. Fans may recall that several years ago, Winfrey arranged a special dinner for Poitier at the Beverly Hills restaurant, Spago, run by renowned chef Wolfgang Puck. The chef was close with Poitier, as well, and shared a tweet as he remembered his friend. "A big hole in the world today as we say goodbye to one of the greatest man ever lived, Sir Sidney Poitier, and the godfather of our two boys," Puck wrote. He is joined in his remembrance of Poitier by chef and Food Network star, Alex Guarnaschelli.

Last week, Alex Guarnaschelli shared a touching post on Instagram to mourn the death of Betty White. She expressed fears about losing other beloved elderly celebrities, writing that somebody needed to "put Dolly Parton, Sydney Poitier, Norman Lear, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Dick Van Dyke under ten feet of protective glass please." Today, she was forced to recall her words in a new post about Poitier. The chef wrote that she "loved his acting and energy."

Guarnaschelli's followers couldn't help but relate to her. One fan wrote, "I thought of your previous post as soon as I heard the news today...I'll pitch in for more bubble wrap to keep Dick VanDyke safe." Another user's comment read, "I literally thought about this when [I read about Poitier] but I couldn't remember who said it. Deep sigh." More than 100 other comments poured in sharing memories about the actor and expressing sadness about his passing.