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Sidney Poitier

Highly-respected, Award-Winning Actor

Sidney Poitier has appeared in over 40 films and won many awards for his outstanding acting achievements. He made his film debut in the 1950 movie, "No Way Out." In 1964 he made history by becoming the first African-American to win the Best Actor Oscar for his role in "Lilies of the Field."
 

Sidney Poitier is considered an extremely talented actor who helped open the doors for many African-American actors after him. Because of his screen persona, he is considered a key force in helping to change the stereotypes of African-Americans on screen.

Early Years
Sidney Poitier was born in Miami, Florida in 1927 but grew up on Cat Island in the Bahamas. He was the youngest of seven children. When he was 15 years old, his parents sent him to live with his brother in the United States. After a succession of menial jobs and even a stint in the U.S. Army, he eventually started acting with the American Negro Theatre.

American Negro Theatre
Sidney Poitier's journey into acting was not a smooth one. When he first auditioned for the American Negro Theatre, he was thrown out, primarily because his strong West Indian accent was hard to understand. Determined to succeed, Sidney Poitier worked hard to speak more clearly. He did. And he became an actor with the American Negro Theatre, which also included Harry Belafonte, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.

It was while he was performing in theatre that Sidney Poitier was discovered. He appeared in his first major film, No Way Out (1950) and then a succession of other movies, including a standout role in Blackboard Jungle (1955).

Sidney Poitier didn't completely give up his theatre acting while he was developing a movie career. He starred in the Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." When the successful play was turned into a movie, he and the rest of the cast performed their same roles in the movie version.

Academy Award
In 1958 Sidney Poitier starred with Tony Curtis in the film, "The Defiant Ones." He was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award, but did not win it. Then, five years later, he gave another exceptional performance in the movie Lilies of the Field. This time, Sidney Poitier won and he made film history.

He also won the 1958 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in Lilies of the Field.

Director
The first movie that Sidney Poitier directed was "Buck and the Preacher" (1972). He also directed a series of movies that he starred in with Bill Cosby. They were Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Let's Do It Again (1975) and A Piece of the Action (1977).

Author
Sidney Poitier has written two autobiographies. The first one, This Life, was written in 1980 and is no longer being printed. In this book, Sidney Poitier talks about his childhood in the Bahamas, how he got started into acting, his two marriages and the relationship that he had with Diahann Carroll. Since the book is no longer being printed, you can find copies through online used book dealers.

This Life by Sidney Poitier
An autobiography that covers his life up
until 1980.

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Twenty years later, Sidney Poitier wrote his second autobiography, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography. This book has received considerable press attention because it was selected for the Oprah Winfrey Book Club in January 2007. It was a New York Times bestseller.

 The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier

 
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Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Chinese Theatre In 1967, Sidney Poitier was the first African-American to have his footprint, handprint and autograph put into one of the famed cement blocks at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7065 Wilshire Blvd.

Major Awards
Won, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Academy Award (1964) Won, Best Motion Picture Actor, Golden Globes (1964) Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute (AFI) (1992) Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award (2000) Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement, Academy Award (2002)

DVD Collection
The Sidney Poitier DVD Collection contains some of his most notable films.  Included are:

For Love of Ivy (A Top 100 BlackClassicMovies.com film)
In the Heat of the Night (A Top 100 BlackClassicMovies.com film)
Lilies of the Field (A Top 100 BlackClassicMovies.com film)
The Organization
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

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