Sidney_Poitier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier Sir Sidney Poitier Actor[1] for his role in Lilies of the Field.[2] The significance of this achievement was later bolstered in 1967 when he starred in three very well received films—To Sir, With Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner—making him the top box office star of that year.[3] In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking 22nd on the list of 25. Poitier has directed a number of popular movies such as Uptown Saturday Night, and Let’s Do It Again (with friend Bill Cosby), and Stir Crazy (starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder). In 2002, 38 years after receiving the Best Actor Award, Poitier was chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to receive the Honorary Award, designated "To Sidney Poitier in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being."[4] Since 1997 he has been the Bahamian ambassador to Japan. Poitier (left) with Harry Belafonte and Charlton Heston at a 1963 Civil Rights March at the foot of the Lincoln memorial Born Occupation Years active Spouse(s) February 20, 1927 (1927-02-20) Miami, Florida, U.S. Actor, Director, Author, Diplomat 1943–present Juanita Hardy (1950-1965) Joanna Shimkus (1976-present) Early life By Poitier’s own account, he was born in Miami, Florida but spent his childhood in Cat Island, Bahamas and later moved back to the United States in 1943 at age 15.[5] By other accounts, he was born at sea en route to Miami, Florida, where his Bahamian parents, Evelyn (née Outten) and Reginald James Poitier,[6] traveled to sell tomatoes and other produce from their farm on tiny Cat Island. Poitier still has family throughout the Bahamas islands. His younger brother, Carl Poitier died in December 1989. Poitier was born prematurely and was not originally expected to survive the boat ride; his birth was recorded in Miami (though he may not have been born there), as the vessel was already closer to Florida. He spent his early years on remote Cat Island, which had a population of 4,000 and no electricity. At the age of 10, Poitier traveled to Nassau with his family. His family attended the Anglican and then the Catholic church, and Poitier was also involved with local voodoo traditions.[7] As he got older, he displayed an Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE (pronounced /ˈpwætɪeɪ/; born February 20, 1927) is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, BAFTA- and Grammy award-winning Bahamian-American actor, film director, author, and diplomat. He broke through as a star in acclaimed performances in American films and plays, which, by consciously defying racial stereotyping, gave a new dramatic credibility for black actors to mainstream film audiences in the Western world. In 1963, Poitier became the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia increasing inclination toward juvenile delinquency. At the age of 15, his parents shipped him off to Miami to live with his older brother. At age 17, Poitier moved to New York City and held a string of menial jobs. During this time, he was arrested for vagrancy after being thrown out of his housing complex for not paying rent, and decided to join the United States Army. He worked as a dishwasher until a successful audition landed him a spot with the American Negro Theater. Sidney Poitier (1965) co-starring Elizabeth Hartman and Shelley Winters; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967); and To Sir, with Love (1967). Poitier played Virgil Tibbs, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania detective in the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night and its two sequels: They Call Me Mister Tibbs (1970) and The Organization (1971). Directorial career Poitier has directed several films, the most successful being the Richard Pryor-Gene Wilder comedy Stir Crazy, which for years was the highest grossing film directed by a person of African descent. His feature film directorial debut was the western Buck and the Preacher in which Poitier also starred in alongside Harry Belafonte. Poitier replaced original director Joseph Sargent. The trio of Poitier, Cosby, and Belafonte reunited again (with Poitier again directing) in Uptown Saturday Night. Poitier also directed Cosby in Let’s Do It Again, A Piece of the Action, and Ghost Dad. Poitier also directed the first popular dance battle movie Fast Forward in 1985. Acting career Poitier tried his hand at the American Negro Theater, where he was handily rejected by audiences. They didn’t see anything in him to be a great and wonderful actor at the time. Determined to refine his acting skills and rid himself of his noticeable Bahamian accent, he spent the next six months dedicating himself to achieving theatrical success. On his second attempt at the theater, he was noticed and given a leading role in the Broadway production Lysistrata, for which he got excellent reviews. By the end of 1949, he had to choose between leading roles on stage and an offer to work for Darryl F. Zanuck in the film No Way Out (1950). His performance in No Way Out as a doctor treating a white bigot was noticed and led to more roles, each considerably more interesting and prominent than most black actors of the time were getting, though still less so than those white actors routinely obtained. Poitier’s breakout role was as a member of an incorrigible high school class in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle. At age twenty-seven, like most of the actors in the film, he was not a teenager. Poitier was the first male black actor to be nominated for a competitive Academy Award (for The Defiant Ones, 1958), and also the first to win the Academy Award for Best Actor (for Lilies of the Field in 1963). (James Baskett was the first to receive an Oscar, an Honorary Academy Award for his performance as Uncle Remus in the Walt Disney production of Song of the South in 1948, while Hattie McDaniel predated them both, winning as Best Supporting Actress for her role in 1939’s Gone with the Wind). He acted in the first production of A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway in 1959, and later starred in the film version released in 1961. He also gave memorable performances in The Bedford Incident (1965), A Patch of Blue Personal life Poitier was first married to Juanita Hardy from April 29, 1950 until 1965. He has been married to Joanna Shimkus, a Canadian-born former actress of Lithuanian descent, since January 23, 1976. He has four daughters by his first marriage and two by his second: Beverly, Pamela, Sherri, Anika, Sydney and Tamiia. Actress Diahann Carroll has claimed in a memoir that Poitier had promised to marry her and subsequently broke his promise. He has written three autobiographical books, This Life (1980), The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (2000) and Life Beyond Measure - letters to my GreatGranddaughter (2008). The second one became an Oprah’s Book Club selection. Later life In April 1997, Poitier was appointed as ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan, a position he currently holds. He is also the ambassador of the Bahamas to UNESCO. During the period of 1998 to 2003, he served as a Member of the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company.[8] 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In 2001, Poitier received an Honorary Academy Award for his overall contribution to American cinema. Sidney Poitier — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama 1959 Porgy and Bess Porgy Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Filmography Actor Year Film 1947 Sepia Cinderella 1949 From Whence Cometh My Help 1950 No Way Out 1951 Cry, The Beloved Country 1952 Red Ball Express 1954 Go, Man, Go! 1955 Blackboard Jungle 1956 Good-bye, My Lady 1957 Edge of the City Role Extra Himself Other notes uncredited documentary Dr. Luther Brooks Reverend Msimangu Cpl. Andrew Robertson Inman Jackson Gregory W. Miller Gates Tommy Tyler 1960 All the Young Men 1961 A Raisin in the Sun Sgt. Eddie Towler Walter Lee Younger Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor — Motion Picture Drama Paris Blues Nominated — BAFTA 1962 Pressure Award for Point Best Actor in a Leading 1963 The Long Role Ships Lilies of the Field Eddie Cook Doctor (Chief Psychiatrist) Aly Mansuh Homer Smith Academy Award for Best Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Something of Value Band of Angels The Mark of the Hawk The Defiant Ones Kimani Wa Karanja Rau-Ru Obam 1958 Virgin Island Marcus Noah Cullen BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1965 The Bedford Incident The Greatest Story Ever Told A Patch of Blue Ben Munceford Simon of Cyrene Sidney Poitier 1970 King: A Narrator Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! Virgil Tibbs documentary Gordon Ralfe The Slender Thread 1966 Duel at Diablo 1967 To Sir, with Love In the Heat of the Night Nominated — BAFTA Award for 1971 Brother John Best Actor in Not Me a Leading Boss!! Role The Nominated Organization — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion 1972 Buck and Picture the Preacher Drama 1973 A Warm Alan Newell December Toller (contract horse dealer) Mark Thackeray Det. Virgil Tibbs Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama 1974 Uptown Saturday Night 1975 The Wilby Conspiracy Let’s Do it Again 1977 A Piece of the Action 1979 Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist 1988 Shoot to Kill Little Nikita 1992 Sneakers John Kane Detective Lieutenant Virgil Tibbs SFPD Homicide Buck Matt Younger Steve Jackson Shack Twala Clyde Williams Manny Durrell Narrator short subject Warren Stantin Roy Parmenter Donald Crease documentary documentary Guess Who’s Dr. John Coming to Wade Dinner Prentice 1968 For Love of Ivy 1969 The Lost Man Jack Parks Jason Higgs 1994 A Century of Himself Cinema 1996 Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick 1997 The Jackal Himself FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston Narrator documentary 2001 Ralph Bunche: An 4 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia American Odyssey 2004 MacKenzie Himself documentary Sidney Poitier Commonwealth Realm that subscribes to the British Honours System, this is a substantive (as opposed to honorary) knighthood, which entitles him to the style "Sir." As with other dual citizens of countries which do and do not permit the use of titles Poitier does not use the style in the USA, nor does Lady Poitier use "Lady" in Canada, a Commonwealth realm country that doesn’t recognize honors. 1992 AFI Life Achievement Award 1995 SAG Life Achievement Award 1997 Appointed non-resident Bahamian Ambassador to Japan 1999 Kennedy Center Honors 2000 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn 2001 NAACP Image Award - Hall of Fame Award 2001 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album - Rick Harris, John Runnette (producers) and Sidney Poitier for The Measure of a Man 2002 Honorary Oscar - "For his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen and for representing the industry with dignity, style and intelligence." Director Year Film 1972 Buck and the Preacher 1973 A Warm December 1974 Uptown Saturday Night 1975 Let’s Do it Again 1977 A Piece of the Action 1980 Stir Crazy 1982 Hanky Panky 1985 Fast Forward 1990 Ghost Dad • • • • • • • Television Year Title Role Other notes Nominated — Emmy Award Nominated — Golden Globe 1991 Separate but Thurgood Equal Marshall • 1995 Children of the Dust 1996 To Sir, with Love II Gypsy Smith Mark Thackeray Nominated - Emmy Award See also • List of African American firsts • David Hampton, an impostor who posed as Poitier’s son "David" in 1983, which inspired a play and a film, Six Degrees of Separation. 1997 Mandela and Nelson De Klerk Mandela 1998 David and Lisa 1999 The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn Dr. Jack Miller Noah Dearborn References [1] James Baskett won a USA Honorary Academy Award for his performance in Walt Disney’s Song of the South (1946). It was not a competitive award. See Awards for James Baskett, Internet Movie Database [2] Sidney Poitier Awards, Internet Movie Database [3] Sidney Poitier. MSN Encarta. [4] Sidney Poitier awards: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Awards database - Oscars.org. [5] Tavis Smiley interviews Sidney Poitier [6] Sidney Poitier Biography (1927-) [7] The religion of Sidney Poitier, actor Free of Eden Will Cleamons 2001 The Last Henry Bricklayer in Cobb America Awards and recognition • Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, awarded in 1974. Because Poitier is a citizen of the Bahamas, a 5 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Awards and achievements Preceded by Henry Fonda for 12 Angry Men Preceded by Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird Preceded by Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird Preceded by Gene Kelly Preceded by Kirk Douglas Preceded by Jack Cardiff, Ernest Lehman Sidney Poitier BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Succeeded by Jack Lemmon Leading Role 1958 for Some Like It Hot for The Defiant Ones Academy Award for Best Actor 1963 for Lilies of the Field Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama 1964 for Lilies of the Field Cecil B. DeMille Award 1982 AFI Life Achievement Award 1992 Academy Honorary Award 2002 with Robert Redford Succeeded by Rex Harrison for My Fair Lady Succeeded by Peter O’Toole for Becket Succeeded by Laurence Olivier Succeeded by Elizabeth Taylor Succeeded by Peter O’Toole [8] Actor Takes Center Stage as Disney Trial Grinds On • The Purpose Prize: Sidney Poitier • Overview of Sindey Poitier’s life Persondata NAME ALTERNATIVE NAMES SHORT DESCRIPTION DATE OF BIRTH PLACE OF BIRTH DATE OF DEATH PLACE OF DEATH Actor, director, author February 20, 1927 Miami, Florida, United States Poitier, Sidney External links • Official publisher web page • Sidney Poitier at the Internet Movie Database • Sidney Poitier at the TCM Movie Database • Sidney Poitier at the Internet Broadway Database • Poitier breaks new ground with Oscar win (BBC, April 13, 1964) • African-Americans: Sidney Poitier • Sidney Poitier to get Marian Anderson Award (July 26, 2006) Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Poitier" Categories: 1927 births, Actors awarded British knighthoods, Actors Studio alumni, BAFTA winners (people), BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor, Bahamian actors, Bahamian diplomats, Best Actor Academy Award winners, Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners, Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners, Grammy Award winners, Kennedy Center honorees, Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Living people, People from Nassau, Bahamas This page was last modified on 21 May 2009, at 21:56 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers 6