‘Trailblazer and a pioneer.’ Tributes to Sidney Poitier pour in after actor dies at 94
Acclaimed actor and activist Sidney Poitier has died, according to multiple news reports.
He was 94 years old.
Poitier’s death was announced by Bahamas Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell on Friday, Jan. 7.
The Miami-born actor was the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1964. He was also the first Bahamian actor to do so.
News of Poitier’s passing triggered an outpouring of tributes online from fans and fellow actors.
Poitier was heralded as a trailblazer in the acting world, and was perhaps best known for his starring roles in “To Sir, With Love, “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” all released in 1967. He also played a lead role in the original Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun” as well as its 1961 film adaptation.
Poitier’s work extended behind the camera, as he went on to direct nine feature films, according to his profile on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts’ website.
The Academy Museum recently named its 10,000-square-foot lobby in the actor’s honor in September 2021, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“It is an incredible honor to name our grand lobby — the nucleus of the Academy Museum — in celebration of Sir Sidney Poitier, whose legacy of humanitarian efforts and groundbreaking artistry continues to inspire us all,” Academy Museum director Bill Kramer said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We are deeply thankful to everyone who supported this campaign, and to Sidney, his wife Joanna Shimkus Poitier, and their entire family for allowing us this great privilege,” Kramer said.
Outside of acting, Poitier led a life of service. He was a champion for civil rights and racial equality and was credited with helping pave the way for other Black actors. He purposefully chose roles that would “advance the depiction of Black actors on screen,” according to PBS, and challenged stereotypes by tackling issues of race head on.
“I wanted to make movies in which Black people could sit in the theater and laugh at themselves without restraint and feel good about it,” he once said, PBS reported.
Poitier’s work earned him praise from civil rights icons including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said of him: “He is a man of great depth, a man of great social concern, a man who is dedicated to human rights and freedom.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 10:32 AM.