Born:
February 20, 1927
Born prematurely on a boat ride from the Bahamas to Miami (where his parents were going to sell tomatoes), Poitier's birth is recorded as happening in Miami, although he returned to the Bahamas in infancy.
Born prematurely on a boat ride from the Bahamas to Miami (where his parents were going to sell tomatoes), Poitier's birth is recorded as happening in Miami, although he returned to the Bahamas in infancy.
Sidney Poitier's Background:
Poitier lived in Cat Island, Bahamas until he was a teenager and his family moved to Nassau, Bahamas. When he was 16, his parents sent him to Miami to live with his brother. Later, he moved to New York City.
Sidney Poitier the Actor:
Poitier broke into theater when he was given the leading role in the Broadway production "Lysistrata." He was offered a role in the film "No Way Out" (1950), and that gained him recognition in Hollywood and helped him get increasingly large and interesting roles.
Sidney Poitier's Most Well-Known Roles:
Sidney Poitier has appeared in more than 50 films. Some of his best known roles were in Lilies of the Field, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, To Sir, With Love, and In the Heat of the Night. He was the first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor (for Lilies in the Field).
Sidney Poitier the Director:
Sidney Poitier has directed 8 films.
Sidney Poitier's Family:
Poitier was married to Juanita Hardy from 1950 until 1965. They had four children. He married to Joanna Shimkus in 1976, and they had two children together.
Sidney Poitier's Books:
Sidney Poitier has written two autobiographical books: This Life (1980) and The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (2000). The Measure of a Man was an Oprah's Book Club pick in 2007.
