Legendary Actor, Activist and Humanitarian Sidney Poitier Dies At 94
Iconic actor, and civil rights activist Sidney Poitier has reportedly passed away at the age of 94. Known for his roles in classic films including “To Sir With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” he is considered a trailblazer for generations of Black performers who came after him.
According to reporting by several Bahamian news outlets, Poitier, also a director and respected humanitarian died Thursday (Jan 6). His cause of death was unknown and no statement from his family has been made public yet.
Born in Miami, Florida, in 1927, Poitier was a Hollywood icon and legend who helped pave the way for Black people in the entertainment industry. He was the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, receiving the honor in 1964 for his performance in Lilies of the Field. The Academy bestowed a second honorary award to the actor in 2001.
Early in his career, the Bahamian-American helped break down color barriers and was committed to bringing noble, intelligent portrayals of Black people to the forefront. He opened up the possibility of bigger and better roles for Black actors and championed for social justice throughout his life. Being the first Black actor to win an Oscar in the Best Actor category made him a Caribbean-American superstar. He landed roles outside of the many stereotypical ones that many Black actors were typically offered.
From In the Heat of the Night to Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Poitier left behind a legendary film legacy that even the most gifted actor could only hope to attain.
In addition to starring in more than 40 movies, he also worked behind the camera directing several films, including Buck and the Preacher and Stir Crazy. The esteemed, multi-talented actor was knighted in 1974 and honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by former President Barack Obama.
Before Poitier graced the big screen and accumulated countless well-earned accolades, he was just a young boy growing up in the Bahamas.
Born on February 20, 1927, in Miami, Florida, Poitier was delivered two months premature. His parents, Reginald and Evelyn Poitier, were visiting when he made his unexpected arrival into the world. Poitier grew up in the Bahamas. His father was a tomato farmer and the family didn’t have much money. When he was 15, he moved back to his birthplace, but not for long. After serving a brief stint in the U.S Army, he set his sights on New York City to pursue an acting career.
In the Big Apple he struck a deal the American Negro Theater. In exchange for acting lessons, he worked as a janitor at the theater. His bartering skills paid off. Before long he was showcasing his undeniable talent on stage as an understudy for Harry Belafonte in the production, Days of Our Youth. In 1946, he scored a role in a Broadway production of Lysistrata. His winning performance led to other roles, including Anna Lucasta, which eventually landed him consistent work for years touring the country with the all-Black production.
Shortly thereafter, Poitier headed out west. His official Hollywood debut was in the 1950 feature film, No Way Out, where he played Dr. Luther Brooks, a Black medical resident facing racism. That same year, he married his first wife, Juanita Hardy. In 1951, he snagged a role in Cry, the Beloved Country, a British drama set in South Africa during apartheid. Four years later, he portrayed a bright, but troubled student in the popular Blackboard Jungle.
Poitier's accomplishments as an actor reached a fever pitch when he earned an Academy Award nomination for the 1958 crime drama The Defiant Ones, co-starring Tony Curtis. The following year, he teamed up with the renowned Dorothy Dandridge for the classic musical, Porgy and Bess. He followed up with the 1961 film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, which catapulted him into superstardom.
The hit films kept rolling in for Poitier throughout the 1960s, including In the Heat of the Night and the groundbreaking Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which centered around interracial marriage co-starring Katharine Hepburn. The British coming-of-age drama, To Sir, with Love was also one of his most notable film roles.
In 1965, Poitier and his wife, Juanita divorced. Their union bore four children. Throughout the 1960s, Poitier was an active participant during the civil rights movement. He attended protests and was present at Dr. Martin Luther King’s funeral in 1968.
By the 1970s, Poitier was a mega Hollywood star. After many years as a leading actor, he tried his hand at directing and was quite successful. His 1972 directorial debut, Buck and the Preacher, as well as 1974's Uptown Saturday Night, featuring Bill Cosby performed well at the box office. A year later he married former Canadian actress, Joanna Shimkus.
He went on to collaborate with Cosby two more times for 1975's Let's Do It Again and 1977's A Piece of the Action.
His 1980 comedy starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, Stir Crazy, was even more lucrative than his other movies. At one point in time, it held the title as the highest-grossing film by a Black director for several years.
Poitier took a break from film for about a decade. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Poitier continued to work, albeit not as frequently as he did earlier in his career. In 1991 he portrayed two high-profile figures in history. First, he portrayed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in Separate but Equal and then Nelson Mandela in Mandela.
Poitier’s illustrious career included some of the most iconic and controversial films in cinematic history.
He earned a slew of honors and awards as a testament to his incredible body of work. He was the recipient of Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Grammys, NAACP Awards, a Screen Actor’s Guild, and Kennedy Center Honors, and more. Poitier was a respected philanthropist, donating to countless charities throughout his life.
In his 2007 autobiography, “The Measure of a Man,” the revered actor proclaimed: “I am the me I choose to be.” He chose well by becoming an inspiration for many.
He is survived by his wife, Joanna, and his children: Beverly Poitier-Henderson, Pamela Poitier, Sherri Poitier, Gina Poitier, Anika Poitier and Sydney Poitier.
