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Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier

Acting

Born: February 20, 1927Miami, Florida, USA

Sidney Poitier KBE (February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was a Bahamian and American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he became the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, for Lilies of the Field. Other accolades include two competitive Golden Globe Awards, a competitive British Academy of Film and Television Arts award (BAFTA), and a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. Major films featuring Poitier in a starring role include Blackboard Jungle (1955), The Defiant Ones (1958), To Sir, with Love (1967), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Sneakers (1992), and The Jackal (1997). Later in his career, he turned to directing with features such as Buck and the Preacher (1972), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Stir Crazy (1980), and Ghost Dad (1990). At the time of his death, Poitier was one of the last major stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

Known For
Filmography
Reinventing Elvis: The 68' Comeback

Reinventing Elvis: The 68' Comeback

Self (archive footage)

2023
Sidney Poitier - The Man Who Changed Hollywood

Sidney Poitier - The Man Who Changed Hollywood

Self (archive footage)

2023
A Star Without a Star: The Untold Juanita Moore Story

A Star Without a Star: The Untold Juanita Moore Story

Self

2022
Sidney

Sidney

Self

2022
Poitier's Walter Lee

Poitier's Walter Lee

Self (archive footage)

2018
Mr. SOUL!

Mr. SOUL!

Self (archive footage)

2018
Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart

Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart

Self

2017
The Madding Crowd

The Madding Crowd

Self (archive footage)

2017
Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley

Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley

Self

2013
Martin Luther King and the March on Washington

Martin Luther King and the March on Washington

Self

2013
Sing Your Song

Sing Your Song

Self

2012
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project

Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project

Self

2007

Hollywood Legenden

Self

2004
The Making of ‘Sneakers’

The Making of ‘Sneakers’

Self

2003
Quincy Jones: In the Pocket

Quincy Jones: In the Pocket

Self

2001
The Last Brickmaker in America

The Last Brickmaker in America

Henry Cobb

2001
Richard Widmark: Strength of Characters

Richard Widmark: Strength of Characters

Self

2000
Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light

Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light

2000
The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn

The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn

Noah Dearborn

1999
Free of Eden

Free of Eden

Will Cleamons

1999
David and Lisa

David and Lisa

Dr. Jack Miller

1998
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist

Reverend Msimangu (archive footage)

1998
The Jackal

The Jackal

Carter Preston

1997
Mandela and de Klerk

Mandela and de Klerk

Nelson Mandela

1997
Afro Promo

Afro Promo

Self (archive footage)

1997
To Sir, with Love II

To Sir, with Love II

Mark Thackeray

1996
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick

Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick

Self

1995
Sneakers

Sneakers

Crease

1992
Separate But Equal

Separate But Equal

Thurgood Marshall

1991
Little Nikita

Little Nikita

Roy Parmenter

1988
Shoot to Kill

Shoot to Kill

Warren Stantin

1988
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night

Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night

Self - Audience Member

1988
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn

The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn

Self

1986
Night of 100 Stars II

Night of 100 Stars II

Self

1985
I Love Quincy

I Love Quincy

Self

1984
Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist

Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist

Narrator (voice)

1979
A Piece of the Action

A Piece of the Action

Manny Durrell

1977
Let's Do It Again

Let's Do It Again

Clyde Williams

1975
The Wilby Conspiracy

The Wilby Conspiracy

Shack Twala

1975
Uptown Saturday Night

Uptown Saturday Night

Steve Jackson

1974
A Warm December

A Warm December

Dr. Matt Younger

1973
Nationtime

Nationtime

Self - Narrator

1972
Buck and the Preacher

Buck and the Preacher

Buck

1972
The Organization

The Organization

Virgil Tibbs

1971
Brother John

Brother John

John Kane

1971
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

Virgil Tibbs

1970
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

Self (archive footage)

1970
The Lost Man

The Lost Man

Jason Higgs

1969

Three Young Americans in Search of Survival

Himself

1969
For Love of Ivy

For Love of Ivy

Jack Parks

1968
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

John Prentice

1967
In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night

Virgil Tibbs

1967
To Sir, with Love

To Sir, with Love

Mark Thackeray

1967
Duel at Diablo

Duel at Diablo

Toller

1966
The Strolling '20s

The Strolling '20s

Self

1966
The Slender Thread

The Slender Thread

Alan Newell

1965
A Patch of Blue

A Patch of Blue

Gordon Ralfe

1965
The Bedford Incident

The Bedford Incident

Ben Munceford

1965
The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Simon of Cyrene

1965
A Cinderella Named Elizabeth

A Cinderella Named Elizabeth

Self

1965
The Long Ships

The Long Ships

Aly Mansuh

1964
Lilies of the Field

Lilies of the Field

Homer Smith

1963
Pressure Point

Pressure Point

Doctor

1962
Paris Blues

Paris Blues

Eddie Cook

1961
A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun

Walter Lee Younger

1961
All the Young Men

All the Young Men

Sgt. Eddie Towler

1960
Virgin Island

Virgin Island

Marcus

1959
Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess

Porgy

1959
The Defiant Ones

The Defiant Ones

Noah Cullen

1958
The Mark of the Hawk

The Mark of the Hawk

Obam

1957
Band of Angels

Band of Angels

Rau-Ru

1957
Something of Value

Something of Value

Kimani Wa Karanja

1957
Edge of the City

Edge of the City

Tommy Tyler

1957
Good-bye, My Lady

Good-bye, My Lady

Gates Watson

1956
A Man Is Ten Feet Tall

A Man Is Ten Feet Tall

Tommy Tyler

1955
Blackboard Jungle

Blackboard Jungle

Gregory W. Miller

1955
Go Man Go

Go Man Go

Inman Jackson

1954
The Red Ball Express

The Red Ball Express

Robertson

1952
Cry, the Beloved Country

Cry, the Beloved Country

Reverend Msimangu

1951
No Way Out

No Way Out

Luther Brooks

1950
Sepia Cinderella

Sepia Cinderella

Nightclub Extra (uncredited)

1947