1. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Poitier grew up in the Bahamas as the son of a tomato farmer and lived in poverty. At age 15, he was sent to live in Miami but faced challenges due to the racial barrier. By age 18, Poitier was sleeping in the toilets of a bus terminal, whilst doing menial jobs. It was these setbacks that made him determined to succeed in life. Whilst his first audition was unsuccessful at the American Negro Theatre, he worked hard to overcome his accent and initial clumsiness. His second audition was successful and his public debut was a Broadway production of Lysistrata, a Greek comedy which was looked upon favourably by critics. Soon after, his film debut followed, and the rest you could say, is history!
(Sidney’s Parents)
2. RECORD BREAKING ACTOR
During his long career Sidney has achieved a wide range of accomplishments, one of them being that he was the first actor of African descent to win the highly prestigious Academy Award for his role as Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field. (1963) He was also the first black actor to have his handprints and autograph outside the iconic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
3. TALENTED DIRECTOR
Poitier’s most successful directorial break is the comedy Stir Crazy (starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor) which has become a cult classic. Once again Sidney set a new record as Stir Crazy (1980) grossed $101,300,000 which made it the highest grossing movie directed by an African-American for twenty years until Scary Movie in 2000.
4. BREAKING SOCIAL BARRIERS
Through the early ‘50s he was the virtually sole African-American film star adored by both white and black audiences. This crossover played a part in building the bridges for many African-American actors to come in future generations. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. described Poitier as a “man of great depth, a man of great social concern, a man who is dedicated to human rights and freedom.”
5. A TRUELY INSPIRATIONAL FIGURE
Poitier still remains one of the most revered actors of his time, particularly in the United States, not only for his cinematic talent, but also for being a part of the Civil Rights movement that helped shape America into what it is today. In 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, the highest civilian award in the United States. He is regarded as an inspirational figure and role model as his life is an example of how great achievements can arise from those with small beginnings.
Written by Chinazum Ukata
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