Oprah Winfrey moved to tears by the passing of Mary Tyler Moore: Report

Oprah Winfrey, moved to tears by the passing of Mary Tyler Moore, hailed the sitcom actress for having “paved the way” for her own success, Entertainment Tonight reported Wednesday.

“Mary Tyler Moore first gave me the idea that you can own your own show and produce it. She was the one,” the former daytime TV host said, Entertainment Tonight reported.

Moore’s passing marked “the first time” in a while since the TV personality “actually sat down and shed tears” over the death of a public figure, she told ET.

“I respected and admired her business acumen, her passion and compassion for all life, and most importantly, the values espoused through her storytelling,” Ms. Winfrey told People magazine. “I thank her for being a light that shined so brightly, it let me see myself in her.”

Long an admirer of Moore, Ms.  Winfrey was moved to tears on live television 20 years ago when the actress paid her a surprise visit on the set of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” ET reports.

“It’s the time I coined the ’ugly cry,’ and I went into double, triple overtime ugly cry,” Ms. Winfrey recalled of the occasion, according to ET. “After that I said, ’Never again!’ I called all my producers together — and that was in 1997 — I said, ’Never again will I be surprised on the show, and if I’m ever surprised on the show, it will cost whoever produced that show their job.’ Because I could not speak, hear or think!”