Profile of the Day: Sidney Poitier

Posted February 20, 2023 by Amanda | No Comment

Today we remember legendary actor Sidney Poitier on what would have been his 96th birthday.

Image: Sidney Poitier / Wikimedia Commons

Poitier was born on February 20, 1927 in Miami, Florida to Bahamian parents Evelyn Outen and Reginald James Poitier. He was born two months premature while his parents were vacationing in the U.S. Until the age of 10, Poitier lived on his family’s farm on Cat Island in the Bahamas. At the age of 15, he was sent to Miami to live with his brother and by 16, he left for New York City where he held a string of odd jobs before finding his passion in theater.

In 1950, Poitier made his film debut in the film No Way Out. Poitier later made history by becoming the first male African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film Lilies in the Field. He had been nominated once before for the drama The Defiant Ones. One of the most popular stars of his time, Poitier starred in many successful films, including Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, To Sir, With Love and In the Heat of the Night.

Poitier died on January 6, 2022 at the age of 94.