When He Reflected on His Rich Legacy at the 2002 Oscars
Sidney's legacy has always been celebrated throughout his life, but the actor himself had a chance to look back on everything he accomplished in his career when he received that honourary Oscar in 2002.
"I arrived in Hollywood at the age of 22 in a time different than today's," he said in his speech. "A time in which the odds against my standing here tonight 53 years later would not have fallen in my favour. Back then, no route had been established for where I was hoping to go, no pathway left in evidence for me to trace, no custom for me to follow. Yet, here I am this evening at the end of a journey that in 1949 would have been considered almost impossible and in fact might never have been set in motion were there not an untold number of courageous, unselfish choices made by a handful of visionary American filmmakers, directors, writers and producers."