Legendary Actor Sidney Poitier Dies at 94, Hollywood Mourns

By Haley Bosselman | January 7, 2022

Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor who was the first Black man to win the Academy Award for best actor, has died. He was 94.

Poitier’s death was first announced by Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell.

“It is with great sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of Sir Sidney Poitier,” he said. “Our whole Bahamas grieves and extends our deepest condolences to his family. But even as we mourn, we celebrate the life of a delightful, great Bahamian, a cultural icon, an actor and film director, a civil and human rights activist and a diplomat. We admire the man not just because of his colossal achievements, but also because of who he was: his strength of character, his willingness to stand up and be countered and the way he plotted and navigated his life’s journey.”

The Bahamian-American actor grew up a native of Cat Island until his parents sent him at age 15 to live with his brother in Miami. He went on to serve in World War II in the medical unit and, upon return, headed for New York City. After a momentary rejection from the American Negro Theatre, Poitier went on to a appear in a number of the institution’s productions and made his Broadway debut in 1946 in Lysistrata.

See also: Our 19 Favorite Movies From 2021

The legendary actor’s film career kicked off in 1950 with No Way Out. Portraying a doctor whose patient is a bigoted white criminal, his performance established his pattern of refusing roles that evoked racist stereotypes. Poitier’s historical win finally came in 1964 for his performance as ex-GI Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field. Among his vast and rich career, Poitier’s most acclaimed films include To Sir, With Love, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of Night.

The outpouring of tributes across Hollywood reflect the gravity of Poitier’s impact. His commitment to acting, directing, philanthropy and activism is unrivaled, having earned him a number of accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together,” President Barack Obama, who bestowed the honor, wrote on Twitter. “He also opened doors for a generation of actors.”

“He showed us how to reach for the stars,” Whoopi Goldberg added.

Oprah Winfrey, who considered Poitier a mentor, described his death as one of the “Great Trees” falling.

“The utmost, highest regard and praise for his most magnificent, gracious, eloquent life. I treasured him. He had an enormous soul I will forever cherish,” she wrote.

See more tributes below.

Archive Photos/Getty Images



Tags: sidney poitier, haley-bosselman,

Photography by: Archive Photos/Getty Images

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