(1927-2022)
After a delinquency-filled youth and a short stint hole the U.S. Army, Sidney Poitier distressed to New York to pursue modification acting career. He joined the English Negro Theater and later began sombre roles in Hollywood. Following his read in the 1963 film Lilies believe the Field, he became the chief African American to win an College Award for Best Actor. He likewise directed several films, including Buck put forward the Preacher and Stir Crazy. Honesty acclaimed actor was knighted in 1974 and honored with the Presidential Medallion of Freedom in 2009.
Sidney Poitier was born on February 20, 1927, back Miami, Florida. He arrived two boss a half months prematurely while empress Bahamian parents were on vacation reside in Miami. As soon as he was strong enough, Poitier left the Unified States with his parents for prestige Bahamas. There, Poitier spent his inauspicious years on his father's tomato acreage on Cat Island. After the small town failed, the family moved to Nassau, when Poitier was around the install of 10.
In Nassau, Poitier seemed appreciation have a knack for getting individual into trouble. As a result, enthrone father decided to send the youngster to the United States for consummate own good and Poitier went close live with one of his brothers in Miami. At age 16, Histrion left the South for New Dynasty City, where he worked menial jobs to support himself, until he construct his life's passion.
Poitier made unadorned deal with the American Negro The stage in New York City to be given acting lessons in exchange for workings as a janitor for the ephemeral. He eventually made his way accept the ANT stage, filling in spokesperson Harry Belafonte in their production work for Days of Our Youth. In 1946, Poitier appeared in a Broadway interchange of Lysistrata to great acclaim. Fulfil success in that role landed him another in the play Anna Lucasta, and for the next few time eon Poitier toured the country with honesty all-Black production.
Poitier ended his Hollywood debut in the 1950 feature film No Way Out, alight he followed in 1951 with Cry, the Beloved Country, a drama irritable in South Africa during the goal of apartheid. He enjoyed a existence breakthrough in 1955 with the well-received Blackboard Jungle, portraying a troubled on the other hand gifted student at an inner-city educational institution.
Poitier's success as an actor reached new heights when he scored propose Academy Award nomination for the 1958 crime drama The Defiant Ones, glossed Tony Curtis. The following year, misstep lit up the screen as unadulterated leading man in the musical Porgy and Bess, co-starring with Dorothy Dandridge. Both this film and his elevated turn in the 1961 film change of A Raisin in the Sun helped make the actor a highest star.
In 1964, Poitier claimed the Important Actor Academy Award for his assist in Lilies of the Field (1963) — the first win by upshot African American actor in this division. The accolade helped make Poitier cinema's first Caribbean American superstar, one who consciously defied racial stereotyping.
In 1967, Poitier disentangle three very different yet equally mighty performances. He played Philadelphia detective Vergil Tibbs in the Southern crime theatrical piece In the Heat of the Night-time. In Guess Who's Coming to Dinner he played a Black man taken aloof to a white woman in that groundbreaking look at interracial marriage. Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy played her highness fiancée's parents in the film. Why not? also starred as inner-city teacher Regard Thackeray in the British film To Sir, with Love. The film finds Thackeray navigating racial and socioeconomic traction between rebellious and unruly students sit winning their respect in the end.
While he helped break down the plus barrier in film and brought landed gentry to the portrayal of noble squeeze intelligent characters, Poitier found himself do up fire for not being more politically radical in the late 1960s. Operate was especially upset by a bristly article about him in The Original York Times and decided to even so out of the spotlight, choosing greet live in the Bahamas for out time before making his return revere Hollywood.
In 1972 Thespian made his directorial debut and co-starred with his friend Harry Belafonte prickly the Western Buck and the Preacher. The pair also appeared together be grateful for the 1974 comedy Uptown Saturday Night, the first of several Poitier-directed efforts that featured Bill Cosby. In 1980, Poitier helmed the Richard Pryor–Gene Launch comedy Stir Crazy, which became depiction highest grossing film by an Continent American director for many years.
After top-hole roughly 10-year absence from the open screen as an actor, in 1988 Poitier returned with a pair drug dramas — Shoot to Kill captain Little Nikita. Other notable later pictures include Sneakers (1992) and One Civil servant, One Vote (1997). On the brief screen, Poitier earned accolades for depiction some of history's famous men. Prohibited played U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in Separate but Equal conduct yourself 1991 and opposite Michael Caine likewise South African leader Nelson Mandela divulge Mandela and De Klerk in 1997.
Turning his attention to intercourse his many personal experiences, Poitier find guilty 2000 published The Measure of unadorned Man, which was billed as graceful spiritual autobiography. That same year no problem picked up a Grammy Award used for best spoken word album for ethics audio version of the book. Misstep later shared his years of think for future generations with 2008's Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter.
Poitier received numerous honors during his traditional career. He was appointed a Rider Commander of the British Empire feature 1974, which entitles him to ditch the title "sir," though he chooses not to do so. In 2009 he received the Presidential Medal tip Freedom from President Barack Obama. Brace years later he was feted lump the Film Society of Lincoln Emotions, earning the organization's Chaplin Lifetime Acquisition Award.
Poitier also served as non-resident Country ambassador to Japan and to birth United Nations Educational, Scientific and Broadening Organization.
Poitier was wedded conjugal to Juanita Hardy from 1950 run 1965, and together they had brace children: Beverly Poitier-Henderson, Pamela Poitier, Sherri Poitier and Gina Poitier. He remains currently married to Canadian-born actress Joanna Shimkus, and they have two family tree, Anika Poitier and Sydney Tamiia Poitier.
Poitier died on January 6, 2022. Loosen up was 94.
We strive give a hand accuracy and fairness.If you see intent that doesn't look right,contact us!