Sidney Poitier

Biography

Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American actor and director who grew up in the Bahamas and joined the American Negro Theatre, breaking through in Blackboard Jungle (1955). His lead in The Defiant Ones (1958) made him the first African American nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and he won that prize for Lilies of the Field (1963) plus a Golden Globe. He broke ground with strong leading roles in A Patch of Blue (1965), Porgy and Bess (1959) and A Raisin in the Sun (1961). In 1967 he starred in three films about race: In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and To Sir, with Love; the first brought Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. He made his directing debut with Buck and the Preacher (1972), directed and starred in Uptown Saturday Night (1974), and acted in Shoot to Kill (1988), Sneakers (1992), and The Jackal (1997). He received an honorary Academy Award in 2002.

94years old at death

Born February 20, 1927Miami
Died January 6, 2022Los Angeles
Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Also credited as Sidney L. Poitier and Sir Sidney Poitier

Movie Career

Films: 41
Career span: 73 years1950 to 2023

Genres

Drama78%, 32 films
Crime32%, 13 films
Action17%, 7 films
Romance17%, 7 films
Adventure15%, 6 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Getting ready for a role
Determined to improve his acting skills and get rid of his noticeable Bahamian accent, Poitier spent six months working toward theatrical success. He based his legendary speech pattern on radio personality Norman Brokenshire.
Behind the camera
Poitier took over from Joseph Sargent as director of the 1972 Western Buck and the Preacher, his first feature film behind the camera, and he also appeared in it with Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee.
Beyond film
Poitier Meets Plato is an album Poitier recorded in 1964 with Fred Katz, a composer. On it, passages from Plato's writings are recited by Poitier.

Sidney Poitier movies on Netflix

Reinventing Elvis: The 68' Comeback2023IMDb rating 7.6as Himself
Sidney2022IMDb rating 7.8as Himself
Sing Your Song2011IMDb rating 7.5as Himself
The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn1999IMDb rating 7.4as Noah Dearborn
The Jackal1997IMDb rating 6.4as FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston
To Sir, with Love II1996IMDb rating 6.4as Mark Thackeray
Sneakers1992IMDb rating 7.1as Donald Crease
Separate But Equal1991IMDb rating 7.6as Thurgood Marshall
Little Nikita1988IMDb rating 5.9as Roy Parmenter
Shoot to Kill1988IMDb rating 6.8as Warren Stantin
A Piece of the Action1977IMDb rating 6.5as Manny Durrell
Let's Do It Again1975IMDb rating 6.7as Clyde Williams
The Wilby Conspiracy1975IMDb rating 6.4as Shack Twala
Uptown Saturday Night1974IMDb rating 6.6as Steve Jackson
A Warm December1973IMDb rating 6.2as Dr. Matt Younger
Buck and the Preacher1972IMDb rating 6.6as Buck
Brother John1971IMDb rating 6.4as John Kane
The Organization1971IMDb rating 6.0as Virgil Tibbs
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!1970IMDb rating 6.0as Virgil Tibbs
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner1967IMDb rating 7.8as John Prentice
In the Heat of the Night1967IMDb rating 7.9as Det. Virgil Tibbs
To Sir, with Love1967IMDb rating 7.6as Mark Thackeray
Duel at Diablo1966IMDb rating 6.5as Toller
A Patch of Blue1965IMDb rating 8.0as Gordon Ralfe
The Bedford Incident1965IMDb rating 7.3as Ben Munceford
The Slender Thread1965IMDb rating 7.0as Alan Newell
The Long Ships1964IMDb rating 6.0as Aly Mansuh
Lilies of the Field1963IMDb rating 7.5as Homer Smith
Pressure Point1962IMDb rating 7.1as Doctor
A Raisin in the Sun1961IMDb rating 8.0as Walter Lee Younger
Paris Blues1961IMDb rating 6.7as Eddie Cook
Porgy and Bess1959IMDb rating 6.9as Porgy
The Defiant Ones1958IMDb rating 7.5as Noah Cullen
Virgin Island1958IMDb rating 5.8as Marcus
Band of Angels1957IMDb rating 6.5as Rau-Ru
Edge of the City1957IMDb rating 7.2as Tommy Tyler
Something of Value1957IMDb rating 6.5as Kimani Wa Karanja
The Mark of the Hawk1957IMDb rating 5.3as Obam
Blackboard Jungle1955IMDb rating 7.4as Gregory W. Miller
The Red Ball Express1952IMDb rating 6.4as Robertson
No Way Out1950IMDb rating 7.4as Luther Brooks

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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In the Heat of the Night1967 Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thrilleras Det. Virgil Tibbs
IMDb rating 7.992K votes
The Jackal1997 Action, Adventure, Crimeas FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston
IMDb rating 6.4132K votes
Sneakers1992as Donald Crease
IMDb rating 7.168K votes
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner1967as John Prentice
IMDb rating 7.853K votes
Lilies of the Field1963as Homer Smith
IMDb rating 7.516K votes
The Defiant Ones1958as Noah Cullen
IMDb rating 7.520K votes
To Sir, with Love1967as Mark Thackeray
IMDb rating 7.622K votes
Shoot to Kill1988as Warren Stantin
IMDb rating 6.816K votes

Most often with

Stanley Kramer directed three of these films, Ralph Nelson three and Richard Brooks two. Four actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Ruby Dee

Harry Belafonte

Diahann Carroll

Ivan Dixon

Richard Widmark

Juano HernandezStanley KramerDirector, 3 films

Ralph NelsonDirector, 3 films

Richard BrooksDirector, 2 films

Films together

Ruby Dee4 films together, 1957 to 1972
Ruby Dee's page
- Buck and the Preacher1972IMDb rating 6.6Poitier as BuckDee as Ruth
- A Raisin in the Sun1961IMDb rating 8.0Poitier as Walter Lee YoungerDee as Ruth Younger
- Virgin Island1958IMDb rating 5.8Poitier as MarcusDee as Ruth
- Edge of the City1957IMDb rating 7.2Poitier as Tommy TylerDee as Lucy Tyler
Harry Belafonte4 films together, 1972 to 2022
Harry Belafonte's page
- Sidney2022IMDb rating 7.8Poitier as HimselfBelafonte as Himself
- Sing Your Song2011IMDb rating 7.5Poitier as HimselfBelafonte as Himself
- Uptown Saturday Night1974IMDb rating 6.6Poitier as Steve JacksonBelafonte as Geechie Dan Beauford
- Buck and the Preacher1972IMDb rating 6.6Poitier as BuckBelafonte as Preacher
Diahann Carroll4 films together, 1959 to 2022
Diahann Carroll's page
- Sidney2022IMDb rating 7.8Poitier as HimselfCarroll as Himself
- Sing Your Song2011IMDb rating 7.5Poitier as HimselfCarroll as Herself
- Paris Blues1961IMDb rating 6.7Poitier as Eddie CookCarroll as Connie Lampson
- Porgy and Bess1959IMDb rating 6.9Poitier as PorgyCarroll as Clara
Ivan Dixon4 films together, 1957 to 1965
Ivan Dixon's page
- A Patch of Blue1965IMDb rating 8.0Poitier as Gordon RalfeDixon as Mark Ralfe
- A Raisin in the Sun1961IMDb rating 8.0Poitier as Walter Lee YoungerDixon as Asagai
- Porgy and Bess1959IMDb rating 6.9Poitier as PorgyDixon as Jim
- Something of Value1957IMDb rating 6.5Poitier as Kimani Wa KaranjaDixon as Lathela - Loyal Gun-Bearer
Richard Widmark3 films together, 1950 to 1965
Richard Widmark's page
- The Bedford Incident1965IMDb rating 7.3Poitier as Ben MuncefordWidmark as Captain Eric Finlander U.S.N.
- The Long Ships1964IMDb rating 6.0Poitier as Aly MansuhWidmark as Rolfe
- No Way Out1950IMDb rating 7.4Poitier as Luther BrooksWidmark as Ray Biddle
Juano Hernandez3 films together, 1957 to 1970
Juano Hernandez's page
- They Call Me Mister Tibbs!1970IMDb rating 6.0Poitier as Virgil TibbsHernandez as Mealie Williamson
- Something of Value1957IMDb rating 6.5Poitier as Kimani Wa KaranjaHernandez as Njogu - Oath Giver
- The Mark of the Hawk1957IMDb rating 5.3Poitier as ObamHernandez as Amugu
Stanley KramerDirector, 3 films, 1958 to 1967
All films by Stanley Kramer
- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner1967IMDb rating 7.8Poitier as John Prentice
- Pressure Point1962IMDb rating 7.1Poitier as Doctor
- The Defiant Ones1958IMDb rating 7.5Poitier as Noah Cullen
Ralph NelsonDirector, 3 films, 1963 to 1975
All films by Ralph Nelson
- The Wilby Conspiracy1975IMDb rating 6.4Poitier as Shack Twala
- Duel at Diablo1966IMDb rating 6.5Poitier as Toller
- Lilies of the Field1963IMDb rating 7.5Poitier as Homer Smith
Richard BrooksDirector, 2 films, 1955 to 1957
All films by Richard Brooks
- Something of Value1957IMDb rating 6.5Poitier as Kimani Wa Karanja
- Blackboard Jungle1955IMDb rating 7.4Poitier as Gregory W. Miller
Also three films together3 more actors
- Roy GlennGuess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), A Raisin in the Sun (1961) and Edge of the City (1957)
- Bill CosbyA Piece of the Action (1977), Let's Do It Again (1975) and Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
- LuluSidney (2022), To Sir, with Love II (1996) and To Sir, with Love (1967)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Sidney Poitier's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$471 million

17 of the 41 films have a worldwide figure.

17Worldwide figure
4US gross only
4Never in cinemas
1Streaming, short cinema run
15Figure not found

Top grosser

The Jackal1997FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston$159 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 93% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Jackal1997as FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston
$159M33.8% of the total
2
Sneakers1992as Donald Crease
$105M22.3% of the total
3
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner1967as John Prentice
$57M12.0% of the total
4
To Sir, with Love1967as Mark Thackeray
$42M9.0% of the total
5
Shoot to Kill1988as Warren Stantin
$29M6.2% of the total
6
In the Heat of the Night1967as Det. Virgil Tibbs
$27M5.8% of the total
7
Let's Do It Again1975as Clyde Williams
$12M2.5% of the total
8
Blackboard Jungle1955as Gregory W. Miller
$8.1M1.7% of the total

Lilies of the Field (1963), $7.0 million

Uptown Saturday Night (1974), $6.7 million

$31.2 millionfrom the other 9 films with a worldwide figure, 7% of the total

Awards

Twelve awards and honors from 1958 to 2016, nine of them major.

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Sidney Poitier's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
2002	Honorary Award		Honorary
1964	Best Actor	Lilies of the Field	Won
Golden Globes
1981	Cecil B. DeMille Award		Won
1963	Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama	Lilies of the Field	Won
BAFTA
2016	Fellowship		Won
SAG Awards
2000	Life Achievement Award		Won
Berlin Film Festival
1963	Silver Bear	Lilies of the Field	Won
1958	Silver Bear for Best Actor	The Defiant Ones	Won
Grammy Awards
2001	Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording	The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography	Won
Other honors
2015	Spingarn Medal		Won
1995	Kennedy Center Honors		Won
1992	AFI Life Achievement Award		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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