Sir Sidney Poitier was an acting legend who starred in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best actor, for his performance in “Lilies of the Field.”
- Died: January 6, 2022 (Who else died on January 6?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 94.
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Early life
Poitier was born Feb. 20, 1927, in Miami, Florida, to Bahamian parents. Raised in the Bahamas, he came to the U.S. at 15 and worked as a dishwasher before landing an audition with the American Negro Theater. His first big success was on Broadway in “Lysistrata,” which was soon followed by breakout movie roles in “No Way Out” and “Blackboard Jungle,” his first big picture, in which he portrayed a rebellious high-schooler.
Career breakthrough
When Poitier starred in “The Defiant Ones” in 1958, his performance earned an Academy Award nomination. He starred in “A Raisin in the Sun” during its first run on Broadway in 1959; two years later, he reprised his role for the big screen. In 1963, for his performance in “Lilies of the Field,” Poitier won one of the most noteworthy Oscars of all time, breaking down a barrier for Black actors that had stood for 35 years of Academy history.
1967 saw Poitier starring in three hugely successful films: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “To Sir, With Love” and “In the Heat of the Night.” He was the year’s biggest box office draw as he portrayed a young doctor in an interracial relationship, a beloved teacher, and a police detective. All three films were both successful and enduring, becoming classics of the era.
Filmmaker
Poitier’s later career included directing – with the Gene Wilder (1933–2016) and Richard Pryor (1940–2005) movie “Stir Crazy,” he created the highest-grossing film by an African-American director at the time. Other films that saw Poitier behind the camera include “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Stir Crazy,” and “Fast Forward.” Poitier also continued to act in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, in movies such as “They Call Me Mister Tibbs!” and “Sneakers.”
Activism and diplomacy
In the 1960s, Poitier was also involved in the civil rights movement, joining Harry Belafonte when he traveled south for 1964’s Freedom Summer and becoming involved with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. A Bahamian citizen, Poitier was named ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan in 1997, holding the position until 2007. He was also the ambassador of the Bahamas to UNESCO from 2002 to 2007.
Widely honored
Poitier was knighted in 1974, carrying the honor of Knight Commander of the British Empire. Other awards and honors bestowed on Poitier include life achievement awards from the Screen Actors Guild and American Film Institute, Kennedy Center Honors, NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame membership and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Poitier on being a groundbreaking Black star
“It’s been an enormous responsibility. And I accepted it, and I lived in a way that showed how I respected that responsibility. I had to. In order for others to come behind me, there were certain things I had to do.” —from a 2000 interview with Oprah Winfrey
Tributes to Sidney Poitier
Full obituary: The New York Times
