Sidney Poitier, whose portrayal of self-possessed, unapologetic and dignified characters in films such as To Sir With Love, In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner established him as Hollywood’s first Black box-office star and Academy Award winner for Best Actor (for Lilies in the Field), has died at 94.
Though born in Miami, FL ,Poitier grew up primarily in the Bahamas. As an adolescent he returned to the U.S., eventually making his way to New York, washing dishes as he struggled to become an actor. He soon landed theatre roles but broke through as an emerging talent primarily in film.
Breakout movie dramas like No Way Out, Blackboard Jungle and The Defiant Ones set the stage for Poitier’s superstardom. In 1959, Poitier returned to New York theater to star in the Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry‘s A Raisin in the Sun and its 1961 film adaptation.
Movies especially beloved starring Poitier were the ones he also directed, such as the action comedies Uptown Saturday Night, Let’s Do It Again, and A Piece of the Action. Poitier also scored a massive hit as director of the classic Richard Pryor 1980 comedy Stir Crazy.
To see Poitier’s extensive filmography, click here. And to see one of the most iconic film moments ever delivered by Poitier, check out the clip from In The Heat of the Night below:
In April 1997, Poitier was appointed ambassador from the Bahamas to Japan, a position he held for a decade, until 2007.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/07/movies/sidney-poitier-dead.html
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/07/entertainment/sidney-poitier-death/index.html
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Just read his autobiography last summer and enjoyed it very much. I’m so sorry to hear of his passing — but what a life!
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This is NOT good news but I totally understand the post. When I was little my parents took us to see In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. I didn’t know the history and seeing a handsome intelligent black man in a leading role seemed perfectly normal to me. Why wouldn’t he be the lead. The thing I got from seeing those movies was the feeling that I could do whatever I wanted without restrictions. My parents had grown up with Jim Crow and a different perspective, experiences but for me to see Mr. Poitier, who looked like the men in my life, I knew I could fly and that gift was priceless. I am so glad I had the pleasure and honor to see him at the 92 St Y in NYC back in 2014. He was as elegant and gracious as he appeared on the screen. From the audience reaction they felt the same and I hope he knew how much we loved and respected him. RIP.
2 movies that I recommend are: Let’s Do It Again and Uptown Saturday Night.