Who would have ever thought the son of a dirt farmer would evolve into an icon in Hollywood history? Sidney Poitier did just that.
He was born Feb. 20, 1927 in Miami, Florida, and raised in Cat Island, The Bahamas. Even though he did not have much formal training, by the time he was 18, he was in New York trying to make ends meet.
After a few not-so-pleasant jobs, he found himself auditioning at the American Negro Theatre. On his second attempt, he gained acceptance into the theatre and began his flourishing career as an actor. During a rehearsal, he was given a part in a Broadway production of “Lysistrata.”
In the following years, he was offered many leading roles in productions, and in 1950, he was offered to pick up a role in “No Way Out.” His role as a black doctor created a stir and led him to more roles that seemed unachievable to black men.
He received an Academy Award nomination for his role in “The Defiant Ones,” and five years later he received the Oscar for “Lilies of the Field.” He was the first black to win a leading role.
The leads and supporting roles he performed in were milestones, not just in the acting world, but America as a whole. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” and “To Sir, With Love,” caused social uproars and struck out black and white barriers. These movies spotlighted Poitier’s talent with admiration and dignity that catapulted his career into new heights.
Career Highlights and Facts:
– Became the first black man to win an Academy Award for his role as Homer Smith in “Lilies of the Field” (1963).
– Sits on USC School of Cinema-Television’s Board of Councilors.
– Has an honorary doctorate degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
– First African-American actor to place autograph, hand, and footprints in the cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (June 23, 1967)
– Was nominated for Broadway’s 1960 Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic) for “A Raisin in the Sun,” a role that he recreated in the film version of the same name, “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961).
– His performance as Detective Virgil Tibbs in “In the Heat of the Night” (1967) is ranked #19 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Heroes & Villains.
– Received the Screen Actors Guild’s Life Achievement Award.
Sources for Bio information and facts: www.imdb.com and The Measure of a Man