Sidney Poitier

In November 1943, 16-year-old Sidney Poitier lied about his age and entered the Army as he was homeless and the military took him in out of the cold. He served as a medical attendant at a mental hospital in New York. Disliking Army life, Poitier attempted to fake insanity in an attempt to get discharged. After he was threatened with shock therapy treatments, he admitted to lying about his age. After several weeks of Army-mandated therapy sessions, he was discharged from the Army.

A native of Cat Island, The Bahamas (although born, two months prematurely, in Miami during a visit by his parents), Poitier grew up in poverty as the son of farmers Evelyn (nee Outten) and Reginald James Poitier, who also drove a cab. He had little formal education and at the age of 15 was sent to Miami to live with his brother, in order to forestall a growing tendency toward delinquency. In the U. S. , he experienced the racial chasm that divides the country, a great shock to a boy coming from a society with a majority of African descent. At 18, he went to New York, did menial jobs and slept in a bus terminal toilet. A brief stint in the Army as a worker at a veteran's hospital was followed by more menial jobs in Harlem. An impulsive audition at the American Negro Theatre was rejected so forcefully that Poitier dedicated the next six months to overcoming his accent and improving his performing skills. On his second try, he was accepted. Spotted in rehearsal by a casting agent, he won a bit part in the Broadway production of "Lysistrata", for which he earned good reviews. By the end of 1949, he was having 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 as a doctor treating a white bigot got him plenty of notice and led to more roles. Nevertheless, the roles were still less interesting and prominent than those white actors routinely obtained. But seven years later, after turning down several projects he considered demeaning, Poitier got a number of roles that catapulted him into a category rarely if ever achieved by an African American man of that time, that of leading man.

Became a father for the first time at age 25 when his first wife Juanita Hardy gave birth to their daughter Judith Schirman on July 5, 1952.

Became a father for the second time at age 27 when his first wife Juanita Hardy gave birth to their daughter Pamela Poitier on April 12, 1954.

He has appeared in seven films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Blackboard Jungle (1955), Porgy and Bess (1959), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Lilies of the Field (1963), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) and King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970).

Became a father for the third time at age 29 when his first wife Juanita Hardy gave birth to their daughter Sherri Poitier on July 12, 1956.

One of these films, The Defiant Ones (1958), earned Poitier his first Academy Award nomination as Best Actor.

In the 1960s, for many of his films, he was paid in a way known as "dollar one participation" which basically means he begins collecting a cut of the film's gross from the first ticket sold.

Along with Gary Cooper, is the most represented actor on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, with five of his films on the list. They are: A Raisin in the Sun (1961) at #65, The Defiant Ones (1958) at #55, Lilies of the Field (1963) at #46, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) at #35, and In the Heat of the Night (1967) at #21.

Five years later, he won the Oscar for Lilies of the Field (1963), the first African American to win for a leading role. He remained active on stage and screen as well as in the burgeoning Civil Rights movement.

When Sidney won his Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field (1963), the statuette was presented to him by Anne Bancroft (Santa Monica Civic Auditorium / April 13, 1964).

His role in The Bedford Incident (1965) marked the first time he would play a role in which his character's race was not an issue.

His roles in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) and To Sir, with Love (1967) were landmarks in helping to break down some social barriers between blacks and whites. Poitier's talent, conscience, integrity, and inherent likability placed him on equal footing with the white stars of the day.

Considered for the male lead for The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), opposite Diana Sands, who had played the role of "Doris" on Broadway.

He was the visual inspiration for the original illustrations of superhero Green Lantern/John Stewart (created in 1971), the first Afro-American to be member of the Corps. Poitier was 44 years old at the time.

Future wife Joanna Shimkus encouraged him to direct his first film, Buck and the Preacher (1972), after he and the original director could not agree creatively.

Became a father for the sixth time at age 46 when his partner, later second wife, Joanna Shimkus gave birth to their daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier on November 15, 1973.

He was awarded an honorary knighthood of the Order of the British Empire in 1974. As an honorary knight, he is not entitled to call himself or to be known as "Sir Sidney Poitier" but he may use the postnomials (KBE or K.B.E.) if he so chooses.

His Stir Crazy (1980) was the highest grossing film directed by a black filmmaker until Scary Movie (2000), directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans almost 20 years later.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 1, 1994.

Appointed as ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan (he was born in the United States but is a citizen of the Bahamas). [April 1997]

Along with his name uttered in the lyrics, a photograph of Poitier is held by Busta Rhymes in the music video "Gimme Some More" (1998).

Premiere magazine ranked him as #20 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

Has four grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. [2008]

With the death of Maximilian Schell on February 1, 2014, he is the earliest surviving actor to have won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received his award for playing Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field (1963) at The 36th Annual Academy Awards (1964).

As of 2018, has starred in four Oscar Best Picture nominees: The Defiant Ones (1958), Lilies of the Field (1963), In the Heat of the Night (1967) and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967). In the Heat of the Night won.

In September 2019, he was honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month.