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Sidney Poitier Biography

Birth Name:
Sidney Poitier
Birth Place:
Miami, Florida, United States
Profession
Actor, director

Fast Facts

  • Grew up in the Bahamas
  • Made his Broadway debut in the 1946 all-black production of Lysistrata
  • Appeared as Walter Lee in the 1959 Broadway play A Raisin in the Sun; reprised the role in the 1961 film adaptation
  • Switched artistic gears in 1972, making his directorial debut with Buck and the Preacher
  • Was appointed a Knight of the British Empire in 1974; awarded the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award in 1992; honored by the Kennedy Center in 1995; and appointed as Bahamian ambassador to Japan in 1997
  • Was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009
  • Has written a number of books, including 2008's Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter

Awards

  • 1997Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: nominated
  • 1997Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special: nominated
  • 1992Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television: nominated
  • 1991Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special: nominated
  • 1968Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: nominated
  • 1967BAFTA Film Awards-Best Foreign Actor: nominated
  • 1966Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: nominated
  • 1965BAFTA Film Awards-Best Foreign Actor: nominated
  • 1964Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: winner
  • 1963Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: winner
  • 1963Berlin Film Festival-Silver Bear for Best Actor: winner
  • 1962BAFTA Film Awards-Best Foreign Actor: nominated
  • 1962Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: nominated
  • 1960Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy: nominated
  • 1959Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: nominated
  • 1958Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 1958BAFTA Film Awards-Best Foreign Actor: nominated
  • 1958Berlin Film Festival-Silver Bear for Best Actor: winner

Relationships