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Feb 20, 2021 · Sidney Poitier has died at 94. In honor of his legacy, here's a look at Poitier's life and career in photos.
- Early Life
- Career Breakthrough
- Filmmaker
- Activism and Diplomacy
- Widely Honored
- Poitier on Being A Groundbreaking Black Star
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,...
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 ti...
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 ac...
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 a...
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.
“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
Jan 7, 2022 · Actor Sidney Poitier, left, and his daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier arrive together at the premiere of the film "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," at AFI Fest 2009 in Los Angeles ...
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Pictures 34 Photos January 7, ... 1927 - 2022. Sidney Poitier, who broke through racial barriers as the first Black winner of the best actor Oscar for his role in "Lilies of the Field," and ...
Dec 11, 2022 · The Observer's obituaries of 2022. This article is more than 1 year old. Sidney Poitier remembered by Sydney Tamiia Poitier. Sidney Poitier on the set of For Love of Ivy, which he wrote...
Jan 19, 2022 · By Diana Dasrath and Kalhan Rosenblatt. LOS ANGELES — Sidney Poitier, the renowned actor, director and activist, died of a combination of heart failure, Alzheimer’s dementia and prostate...
Jan 7, 2022 · On Thursday, January 6, Sidney Poitier—the first Black man to ever win the Oscar for best actor— died at 94. The timing of Poitier’s loss poetically and painfully echoes that of another ...
