Dates:
February 20, 1927 -Occupation:
actor, director
Sidney Poitier Tries his Hand at Acting
Sidney Poitier was born in Miami, Florida, but grew up in Cat Island, Bahamas where his father worked as a farmer. At the age of sixteen, he moved to New York. While looking for a job in the newspaper, Poitier came across an employment advertisement for an actor. While he tried out for the part and did not get the role, it was the start of his pursuit of acting.Poitier enrolled at the American Negro Theater in New York. He began acting in plays, and finally received a movie part in 1950 in the film No Way Out. Poitier received supporting roles in Blackboard Jungle (1955) and The Defiant Ones (1958). For the latter, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. His second nomination came for his role in the 1963 film Lilies of the Field. Poitier became the first African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. In 2002, Poitier was awarded an Honorary Academy Award for his work as an actor.
Sidney Poitier, the Movie Star
Poitier’s win of an Academy Award, combined with the climate of the civil rights movement, catapulted him to movie star status. He became a sought-after leading man. In 1967, he starred in To Sir With Love, In the Heat of the Night, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which tackled the issue of interracial romance.
Poitier Becomes a Director
In the 1970s, Poitier tried his hand at directing. His films included Buck and the Preacher, Uptown Saturday Night, and the successful comedy, Stir Crazy with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. Poitier returned to acting in 1988 in the films Shoot to Kill and Little Nikita, followed by Sneakers (1992).Unlike the typical stereotypical roles for black actors in the 1950s and 1960s, the characters Poitier played were just the opposite; they were strong and dignified, which helped open the door for other black actors that followed his lead.
