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Poitier and Belafonte are both Hollywood legends, who were also longtime pals with a number of years to their history and friendship. Harry Belafonte – who died on April 25, 2023 – and Sidney Poitier, who died on January 7, 2022 – had a lot in common.

Both were notable, groundbreaking black actors of a West Indian background in the Golden Era of Hollywood. Belafonte was the first Black person to win an Emmy Award, while the late Poitier was the first Black man to win a Best Actor Oscar — met in the mid-1940s as they worked at The American Negro Theatre in New York City, both age 20.

Poitier started out working as a janitor at the theater while taking acting classes, while Belafonte worked as a stagehand. The pair bonded over their similar upbringings and West Indian heritage. When Belafonte fell ill during the run of his debut stage performance, Poitier stepped in as his understudy. According to a 2017 story published by The New York Times, Belafonte considered Poitier “his first real friend in life.”Outside of their shared love for performing, Poitier and Belafonte were active participants in the civil rights movement.

The pair, who were both friends with Martin Luther King. Jr, each helped plan the 1963 March on Washington and King’s memorial following his 1968 assassination. After Poitier’s death at age 94 in Jan. 2022, Belafonte’s daughter Shari Belafonte told PEOPLE: “Losing Sidney is probably the most difficult thing my father has had to fathom, more so than losing Martin L. King.”

Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier leveraged there passion and talents to champion the arts, spotlight humanitarian issues and advance justice. They both lived a fulfilled life and age Gracefully 94 and 96 respectfully. To two amazing soul and voice…may there legacy live on forever.