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Sidney Poitier

Actor | Director | Soundtrack

A native of Cat Island, The Bahamas, (though born in Miami during a mainland visit by his parents), Poitier grew up in poverty as the son of a dirt farmer. He had little formal education and at the age of 15 was sent to Miami to live with his brother, in order to forestall a growing tendency toward delinquency... See full bio »

Born:

Sidney L. Poitier
in Miami, Florida, USA
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Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier Still of Sidney Poitier in Blackboard Jungle Still of Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones Still of Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier in Buck and the Preacher Still of Sidney Poitier in A Warm December
160 photos | 22 videos | 581 news articles »

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Franklin Ojeda Smith - -- "...back in the day the 'barb wire' was more visible" and early on I chose baseball over acting; then academia and not baseball. Now,"...the kids are grown, the dog is dead and now that I may, I choose acting." Please take a look: 1)Boardwalk Empire - Deacon Cuffy 2)Murder Incorporated - Sam Christenson 3)Cayman Went - Aniston Turnkey 4)Letting Go -Therapist 5)Footsteps in the Sand - Jim. Thank You! Franklin

Franklin Ojeda Smith -

Christopher Mann's Theatrical Demo Reel -- This reel contains Christopher performing in Film and Television. The clips included are from the following: "The Boundary", "The Wire", "Duplicity", "Law & Order(SVU)", "Michael Clayton", "Cost Of A Soul", "HEROES" and "Law & Order (CI)".

Christopher Mann's Theatrical Demo Reel

My Demo Reel -- Includes clips from GLORY DAZE, COMMUNITY and horror film URBAN EXPLORER.

My Demo Reel

David H. Lawrence, XVII - Drama -- On-camera drama reel featuring David H. Lawrence XVII, in scenes from Heroes, The Unit, LOST, and more

David H. Lawrence, XVII - Drama

Francine Locke Film Reel -- Family Law (Best Actress, Gideon), Stealing Home (Best Supporting Actress-nom.) 168 Project, True Tale Monster (Albert P. Weisman Award), The Discarded (2011 Feature Release).

Francine Locke Film Reel


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Won Oscar. Another 25 wins & 26 nominations See more awards »

Known For


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Filmography

Hide HideActor (54 titles)
2001 The Last Brickmaker in America (TV movie)
Henry Cobb
 
1999 The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn (TV movie)
Noah Dearborn
 
1998 David and Lisa (TV movie)
Dr. Jack Miller
 
1998 Free of Eden (TV movie)
Will Cleamons
 
1997 The Jackal
FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston
 
1997 Mandela and de Klerk (TV movie)
Nelson Mandela
 
1996 To Sir, with Love II (TV movie)
Mark Thackeray
 
1995 Children of the Dust (TV movie)
Gypsy Smith
 
1992 Sneakers
Donald Crease
 
1991 Separate But Equal (TV movie)
Thurgood Marshall
 
1988 Little Nikita
Roy Parmenter
 
1988 Shoot to Kill
Warren Stantin
 
1977 A Piece of the Action
Manny Durrell
 
1975 Let's Do It Again
Clyde Williams
 
1975 The Wilby Conspiracy
Shack Twala
 
1974 Uptown Saturday Night
Steve Jackson
 
1973 A Warm December
Dr. Matt Younger
 
1972 Buck and the Preacher
Buck
 
1971 The Organization
Virgil Tibbs
 
1971 Brother John
John Kane
 
1970 They Call Me Mister Tibbs!
Virgil Tibbs
 
1969 The Lost Man
Jason Higgs
 
1968 For Love of Ivy
Jack Parks
 
1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
John Prentice
 
1967 In the Heat of the Night
Virgil Tibbs
 
1967 To Sir, with Love
Mark Thackeray
 
1966 Duel at Diablo
Toller
 
1965 The Slender Thread
Alan Newell
 
1965 A Patch of Blue
Gordon Ralfe
 
1965 The Bedford Incident
Ben Munceford
 
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told
Simon of Cyrene
 
1964 The Long Ships
Aly Mansuh
 
1963 Lilies of the Field
Homer Smith
 
1962 Pressure Point
Doctor
 
1961 Paris Blues
Eddie Cook
 
1961 A Raisin in the Sun
Walter Lee Younger
 
1960 All the Young Men
Sgt. Eddie Towler
 
1959 Our Virgin Island
Marcus
 
1959 Porgy and Bess
Porgy
 
1958 The Defiant Ones
Noah Cullen
 
1957 The Mark of the Hawk
Obam
 
1957 Band of Angels
Rau-Ru
 
1957 Something of Value
Kimani Wa Karanja
 
1957 Edge of the City
Tommy Tyler
 
1956 Good-bye, My Lady
Gates Watson
 
1952-1955 The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse (TV series)
Tommy Tyler
– A Man Is Ten Feet Tall (1955) … Tommy Tyler
– Parole Chief (1952)
 
1955 Ponds Theater (TV series)
– The Fascinating Stranger (1955)
 
1955 Blackboard Jungle
Gregory W. Miller
 
1954 Go Man Go
Inman Jackson
 
1952 Red Ball Express
Robertson
 
1952 CBS Television Workshop (TV series)
– Careless Love (1952)
 
1951 Cry, the Beloved Country
Reverend Msimangu
 
1950 No Way Out
Dr. Luther Brooks
 
1947 Sepia Cinderella
Night Club Extra (uncredited)
 
Show ShowDirector (9 titles)
Show ShowSoundtrack (4 titles)
1969 The 41st Annual Academy Awards (TV special) (performer: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang")
 
1963 Lilies of the Field (performer: "Amen" - uncredited)
 
1959 Porgy and Bess (performer: "They Pass By Singin'", "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'", "Bess, You Is My Woman Now", "I Loves You Porgy", "O Bess, O Where's My Bess", "Finale: O Lawd, I'm On My Way")
 
1958 The Defiant Ones (performer: "Long Gone")
 
Show ShowProducer (3 titles)
1998 Free of Eden (TV movie) (executive producer)
 
1972 Buck and the Preacher (producer - uncredited)
 
1971 Brother John (executive producer - uncredited)
 
Show ShowWriter (1 title)
1968 For Love of Ivy (original story)
 
Show ShowThanks (2 titles)
2010 Vixen Highway 2006: It Came from Uranus! (special thanks)
 
2010/I Salvation Road (short) (special thanks)
 
Show ShowSelf (104 titles)
2012 The Journey Part 1 (documentary) (post-production)
Himself
 
2013 CBS News Sunday Morning (TV series)
Himself - Guest
– Episode dated 12 May 2013 (2013) … Himself - Guest
 
2013 Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' to Tell You (documentary)
Himself
 
2013 44th NAACP Image Awards (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2012 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Shirley MacLaine (TV movie)
Himself
 
2012 43rd NAACP Image Awards (TV movie)
Himself
 
2012 The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards (TV special)
Himself - Presenter: Cecil B. DeMille Award
 
2011 Islands of Life (documentary)
Himself
 
2011 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Morgan Freeman (TV movie)
Himself
 
2011 Oprah Presents: Master Class (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Sidney Poitier: Part 1 (2011) … Himself
 
2011 Sing Your Song (documentary)
Himself
 
2010 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (TV special)
Himself
 
2009 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (TV series)
Himself - Birthday Greeting to Uncle Frank
– Episode #8.46 (2009) … Himself - Birthday Greeting to Uncle Frank
 
2009 Entertainment Tonight (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 21 April 2009 (2009) … Himself
 
2008 Artists of the Bahamas (documentary)
 
2008 Stand Up to Cancer (TV movie)
Himself
 
2008 Tavis Smiley (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 10 June 2008 (2008) … Himself
– Episode dated 9 June 2008 (2008) … Himself
 
2008 Larry King Live (TV series)
Himself
– Sidney Poitier (2008) … Himself
 
2008 The 80th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
2008 39th NAACP Image Awards (TV movie)
Himself
 
2007 Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (documentary)
Himself
 
2000-2007 The Oprah Winfrey Show (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 28 March 2007 (2007) … Himself
– Episode dated 14 November 2005 (2005) … Himself
– Oprah's 50th Birthday Bash! (2004) … Himself
– Episode dated 7 April 2000 (2000) … Himself
 
2007 Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2007 The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special (TV movie)
Himself
 
2006 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (TV special)
Himself
 
2006 Ali Rap (TV movie)
Himself
 
2006 2006 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2006 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2006 Legends Ball (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2006 The Lew Rudin Way (documentary)
Himself
 
2005 The Black Movie Awards (TV movie)
Himself
 
2005 36th NAACP Image Awards (TV special)
Himself - Presenter
 
2004 Tell Them Who You Are (documentary)
Himself
 
2004 Hollywood Legenden (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2003 The Making of 'Sneakers' (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2002 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (TV movie)
Himself
 
2002 The Making of 'Changing Lanes' (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2002 Gala Paramount Pictures Celebrates 90th Anniversary with 90 Stars for 90 Years (TV movie)
Himself
 
2002 Corazón, corazón (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 24 March 2002 (2002) … Himself
 
2002 The 74th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Honorary Award Recipient
 
2002 2002 Trumpet Awards (TV movie)
Himself
 
2002 Exclusif (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 30 January 2002 (2002) … Himself
 
2002 Muhammad Ali's All-Star 60th Birthday Celebration! (TV special)
Himself
 
2001 American Masters (TV series documentary)
– Quincy Jones: In the Pocket (2001)
 
2001 32nd NAACP Image Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
2001 Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey (documentary)
Narrator
 
2001 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand (TV special documentary)
Himself
 
2001 Bravo Profiles (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Rod Steiger (2001) … Himself
 
2000 The BBC and the BAFTA Tribute to Michael Caine (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2000 Biography (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Richard Widmark: Strength of Characters (2000) … Himself
 
2000 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
1999 ABC 2000: The Millennium (TV documentary)
 
1999 The Howard Stern Radio Show (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 8 May 1999 (1999) … Himself
 
1999 The Directors (TV series documentary)
Himself
– The Films of Norman Jewison (1999) … Himself
 
1998 The Making of 'The Jackal' (video documentary)
Himself
 
1998 League of Legends (TV movie)
Himself
 
1998 The 70th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Past Winner (uncredited)
 
1997 The 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
1996 The 68th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Presenter: Best Picture
 
1995 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (TV special)
Himself - Honoree
 
1995 Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (documentary)
Himself
 
1995 CBS This Morning (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 9 January 1995 (1995) … Himself
 
1994 A Century of Cinema (documentary)
Himself
 
1993 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor (TV special documentary)
Himself
 
1993 An American Reunion: The People's Inaugural Celebration (TV movie)
Himself
 
1992 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Sidney Poitier (TV special)
Himself - Guest of Honor
 
1990 Sinatra 75: The Best Is Yet to Come (TV special documentary)
Himself
 
1990 7th Annual American Cinema Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
1990 22nd NAACP Image Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
1989 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (TV special)
Himself
 
1989 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Gregory Peck (TV special)
Himself
 
1988 The Princess Grace Foundation Special Gala Tribute to Cary Grant (TV movie)
Himself
 
1988 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon (TV special documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1988 Cinema 3 (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 27 July 1988 (1988) … Himself
 
1988 The18th Annual Nosotros Golden Eagle Awards (TV movie)
Himself
 
1987 The Annual ACLU Honors: A Salute to Michael Douglas (TV movie)
Himself
 
1987 The USA Today's 5th Anniversary Gala (TV movie)
Himself
 
1986 The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn (TV special documentary)
Himself
 
1986 Bopha! (TV documentary)
Narrator (voice)
 
1985 Night of 100 Stars II (TV movie)
Himself
 
1984 Black Hollywood (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1980 The Third Annual Black Achievement Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
1979 Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist (documentary short)
Narrator (voice)
 
1979 The 16th Annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner of National Conference of Christians and Jews (TV movie)
Himself
 
1977 The American Film Institute's 10th Anniversary Special (TV movie)
Himself
 
1975 ABC Late Night (TV series)
Himself
– The Columbia Pictures 50th Anniversary Special (1975) … Himself
 
1972 The New Bill Cosby Show (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 11 September 1972 (1972) … Himself
 
1972 The Dick Cavett Show (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 1 May 1972 (1972) … Himself
 
1972 Film Night (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 15 April 1972 (1972) … Himself
 
1970 King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (documentary)
Himself
 
1969 The 41st Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Performer & Co-Presenter: Best Picture
 
1968 The 40th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Presenter: Best Actress in a Leading Role
 
1967 The Joey Bishop Show (TV series)
Himself
– Episode #2.30 (1967) … Himself
 
1967 The 39th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Presenter: Best Actress in a
 
1967 ABC Stage 67 (TV series)
Himself - Host
– A Time for Laughter: A Look at Negro Humor in America (1967) … Himself - Host
 
1966 The Strolling '20s (TV movie)
Himself
 
1965 The 37th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Presenter: Best Actress in a Leading Role
 
1965 A Cinderella Named Elizabeth (documentary short)
Himself
 
1964 Freedom Spectacular (TV movie)
Himself
 
1964 The 36th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Winner: Best Actor in a Leading Role & Presenter: Best Film Editing
 
1961 Cinépanorama (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Episode dated 13 May 1961 (1961) … Himself
 
1961 The 15th Annual Tony Awards (TV movie)
Himself - Presenter
 
1959 Sunday Showcase (TV series)
Himself
– A Tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt on Her Diamond Jubilee (1959) … Himself
 
1949 From Whence Cometh My Help (documentary)
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (22 titles)
2013 The 85th Oscars (TV special)
Himself - Governors Awards Presenter
 
2012 BB King: The Life of Riley (documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 
2011 The Loving Story (documentary)
John Prentice - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
 
2010 Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood (TV mini-series documentary)
 
2009 Founding Fathers: Sir Stafford Sands
 
2008 Sidney Poitier, un outsider à Hollywood (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2008 The O'Reilly Factor (TV series)
 
2007 Cámara negra. Teatro Victoria Eugenia (TV documentary short)
Himself
 
2006 Bicentennial Nigger (short)
Aly Mansuh
 
2005 Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (TV documentary)
Cpl. Andrew Robertson
 
2004 TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (video documentary)
 
2003 Century of Black Cinema (video documentary)
Himself
 
2003 American Dreams (TV series)
 
2002 Playboy: Inside the Playboy Mansion (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2000 American Masters (TV series documentary)
 
2000 Playboy: The Party Continues (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1998 Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1998 Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist (documentary)
Reverend Msimangu
 
1998 Classified X (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1976 America at the Movies (documentary)
Walter Lee Younger
 
1971 Film Night (TV series)
 
1968 Black History: Lost Stolen, or Strayed (TV documentary)
Himself/Dr. John Wade Prentice (uncredited)
 

Related Videos

Ghost Dad -- Sidney Poitier directs Bill Cosby in this heartwarming comedy about a father of three whose spirit leaves his body to return to his house, be with his children, and plan for their futures. Biography: : -- A condensed biography of the life of Sidney Poitier Craft in America: Season 1: Episode 2 -- See how Sidney Poitier's sheer talent broke new ground in Hollywood and made him one of the greatest movie stars in the world.
See all 22 »
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Personal Details

Other Works:

Album: "Measure of a Man", 2001. Won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. See more »

Publicity Listings:

1 Biographical Movie  | 5 Print Biographies  | 2 Interviews  | 7 Articles  | 4 Magazine Cover Photos  | See more »

Alternate Names:

Sir Sidney Poitier

Height:

6' 2½" (1.89 m)
Edit

Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

We all suffer from the preoccupation that there exists ... in the loved one, perfection. See more »

Trivia:

Of Haitian ancestry from his father's side. See more »

Star Sign:

Pisces