History Creator / SidneyPoitier

* Buck and The Preacher (1972) (directional debut)

* Buck and The Preacher (1972, directional debut)

Poitier died on January 7, 2022, at the age of 94.

Sidney Poitier [[UsefulNotes/BritishHonours KBE]] (February 20, 1927 – January 7, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor and director, who might be regarded as the UsefulNotes/JackieRobinson of dramatic film acting in North America. Before him, the notion of a Black man taking serious leading roles in mainstream American films was all but scoffed at, but this magnificent actor broke through the prejudice to make an invaluable precedent for minority actors and paid the price for it along the way.

Afterward, as tastes changed, his acting career declined, but he was able to be a successful director (''Film/StirCrazy'') and later Ambassador to The Bahamas as minority talents reaped the rewards of Poitier's trailblazing. Little known fact: he was also UsefulNotes/{{knight|fever}}ed, so he ''did'' [[ObligatoryJoke become]] [[Film/ToSirWithLove a Sir]]!

He died on January 7, 2022, at the age of 94.

Sidney Poitier [[UsefulNotes/BritishHonours KBE]] (February 20, 1927 – January 7, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor and director, who might be regarded as the UsefulNotes/JackieRobinson of dramatic film acting in North America. Before him, the notion of a Black man taking serious leading roles in mainstream American film was all but scoffed at, but this magnificent actor broke through the prejudice to make an invaluable precedent for minority actors and paid the price for it along the way.

Sidney Poitier [[UsefulNotes/BritishHonours KBE]] (February 20, 1927 – January 7, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor and director, who might be regarded as the UsefulNotes/JackieRobinson of dramatic film acting in North America. Before him, the notion of a Black man being a leading actor in dramatic American films was all but scoffed at, but this magnificent actor broke through the prejudice to make an invaluable precedent for minority actors and paid the price for it along the way.

Sidney Poitier [[UsefulNotes/BritishHonours KBE]] (February 20, 1927 - January 7, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor and director, who might be regarded as the UsefulNotes/JackieRobinson of dramatic film acting in North America.

Before him, the notion of a Black man being a leading actor in dramatic American films was all but scoffed at, but this magnificent actor broke through the prejudice to make an invaluable precedent for minority actors and paid the price for it along the way.

First hitting the big time in 1955 as a bright-but-troubled high school delinquent in the early SaveOurStudents drama ''Film/BlackboardJungle'', Poitier soon became a special presence in classic films like ''Film/TheDefiantOnes''. He was the first Black man to be nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor (for ''The Defiant Ones'') and later the first one to win (for 1963's ''Film/LiliesOfTheField''). Unfortunately, Poitier was all too aware this was effectively an award for being the TokenMinority in Hollywood, and he felt he had to set an example for playing characters that show African Americans in a good light to bury the [[UncleTomfoolery Stepin Fetchit stereotypes]].

Sidney Poitier [[UsefulNotes/BritishHonours KBE]] (February 20, 1927-January 7, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor and director, who might be regarded as the UsefulNotes/JackieRobinson of dramatic film acting in North America.

First hitting the big time in 1955 as a bright-but-troubled high school delinquent in the early SaveOurStudents drama ''Film/BlackboardJungle'', Poitier soon became a special presence in classic films like ''Film/TheDefiantOnes''. He was the first Black man to be nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor (for ''The Defiant Ones'') and later the first one to win (for ''Film/LiliesOfTheField'' in 1963). Unfortunately, Poitier was all too aware this was effectively an award for being the TokenMinority in Hollywood, and he felt he had to set an example for playing characters that show African Americans in a good light to bury the [[UncleTomfoolery Stepin Fetchit stereotypes]].

Although Poitier was harried at the height of his career with endless questions about racial issues and The UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, he had another achievement of becoming the #1 box office movie star in 1967 with the hit films, ''Film/ToSirWithLove'', ''Film/InTheHeatOfTheNight'' (Which won the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Picture), and ''Film/GuessWhosComingToDinner''.

He died on January 7, 2022 at the age of 94.

Sidney Poitier [[UsefulNotes/BritishHonours KBE]] (born February 20, 1927 in Miami, Florida) is a Bahamian-American actor and director, who might be regarded as the UsefulNotes/JackieRobinson of dramatic film acting in North America.

Before him, the notion of a Black man being a leading actor in dramatic American films was all but scoffed at, but this magnificent actor broke through the prejudice to make an invaluable precedent for minority actors, and paid the price for it along the way.

First hitting the big time in 1955 as a bright-but-troubled high school delinquent in the early SaveOurStudents drama ''Film/BlackboardJungle'', Poitier soon became a special presence in classic films like ''Film/TheDefiantOnes''. He was the first Black man to be nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor (for ''The Defiant Ones'') and later the first one to win (for ''Film/LiliesOfTheField'' in 1963). Unfortunately, Poitier was all too aware this was effectively an award for being the TokenMinority in Hollywood, and he felt he had to set an example for playing characters that show African Americans in a good light to bury the [[UncleTomfoolery Stepin Fetchit stereotypes.]]

* ''Film/TheGreatestStoryEverTold'' (1965)(cameo)

* ''Film/GhostDad'' (1990)(director, didn't star)

* ''Film/TheyCallMeMisterTibbs'' (1970)
* ''Film/TheOrganization'' (1971)
* ''Film/StirCrazy'' (1980)(director, didn't star)

--> --'''Creator/DenzelWashington''', while accepting the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor in 2002

First hitting the big time in 1955 as a bright-but-troubled high school delinquent in the early SaveOurStudents drama ''Film/BlackboardJungle'', Poitier soon became a special presence in classic films like ''Film/TheDefiantOnes''. He was the first Black man to be nominated for an [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] for Best Actor (for ''The Defiant Ones'') and later the first one to win for ''Film/LiliesOfTheField'' in 1963. Unfortunately, Poitier was all too aware this was effectively an award for being the TokenMinority in Hollywood, and he felt he had to set an example for playing characters that show African Americans in a good light to bury the [[UncleTomfoolery Stepin Fetchit stereotypes.]]

--> --'''Creator/DenzelWashington''', while accepting his Best Actor Oscar.

[[quoteright:233:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SidneyPoitier.jpg]]

The UsefulNotes/JackieRobinson of dramatic film acting in North America, born in February 20, 1927 in Miami, Florida.