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Sidney Poitier

Acting 94 (deceased) years old Miami, Florida, USA ★ 1.5
Born: February 20, 1927
Died: January 6, 2022

Biography

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.

Filmography

Acting Credits (104)

The Resurrection of Christ
The Resurrection of Christ 2026
Hollywood Black
Hollywood Black Self (archive footage) 2024
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
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
Children of the Dust
Children of the Dust Gypsy Smith 1995
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick Self 1995
Sneakers
Sneakers Crease 1992
Separate But Equal
Separate But Equal Thurgood Marshall 1991
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
The Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors Self 1978
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
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
The American Film Institute Salute to ... Self 1973
Nationtime
Nationtime Self - Narrator 1972
Buck and the Preacher
Buck and the Preacher Buck 1972
Film '72
Film '72 Self 1971
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
Three Young Americans in Search of Survival Himself 1969
For Love of Ivy
For Love of Ivy Jack Parks 1968
The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show Self - Guest 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
ABC Stage 67
ABC Stage 67 Self - Host 1966
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
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Self 1962
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show Self 1962
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show Self 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show Self - Taped Tribute 1961
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
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Tonight Starring Jack Paar Self 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
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Presenter 1956
Cinépanorama
Cinépanorama Self 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
Kraft Television Theatre
Kraft Television Theatre 1953
The Oscars
The Oscars Self 1953
Omnibus
Omnibus 1952
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
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse 1948
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse Tommy Tyler 1948
Sepia Cinderella
Sepia Cinderella Nightclub Extra (uncredited) 1947
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Nominee 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Presenter 1944

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