| Sidney Poitier Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 2½ in |
| Weight | 77 kg |
| Date of Birth | February 20, 1927 |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Date of Death | January 6, 2022 |
Sidney Poitier was an American actor, film director, producer, activist, and ambassador who became the first Black person and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for “Best Actor” in 1964. He gained acclaim for his work in movies like A Raisin in the Sun, A Patch of Blue, The Defiant Ones, Porgy and Bess, Paris Blues, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night, Lilies of the Field, and To Sir, With Love. In 1974, Sidney Poitier was granted a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II and he received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1995. In recognition of his “remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being”, he received the Academy Honorary Award in 2002. Moreover, he served as the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan from 1997 to 2007.
Born Name
Sidney L. Poitier
Nick Name
Sidney
Age
He was born on February 20, 1927.
Died
On January 6, 2022, he passed away at the age of 94 at his home in Los Angeles, California, United States.
Sun Sign
Pisces
Born Place
Miami, Florida, United States
Residence
He resided in Los Angeles, California, United States.
Nationality
Occupation
Actor, Film Director, Producer, Activist, Ambassador
Family
- Father – Reginald James Poitier (Farmer, Cab Driver)
- Mother – Evelyn (née Outten) (Farmer)
- Siblings – Cyril Poitier (Older Brother) (Actor). Sidney Poitier had 5 more older siblings.
- Others – March Poitier (Paternal Grandfather), Emma Jane “Emily” Evans (Paternal Grandmother), Timothy Outten/Outen (Maternal Grandfather), Virginia Farrington/Farington (Maternal Grandmother)
Manager
Poitier was signed with Verdon-Cedric Productions, Production Company, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Net Worth
According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, his net worth had been $20 Million.
Build
Slim
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Height
6 ft 2½ in or 189 cm
Weight
77 kg or 170 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Sidney Poitier had dated –
- Juanita Hardy (1950-1965) – On April 29, 1950, Sidney Poitier got married to Juanita Hardy but the duo eventually divorced in 1965. They were blessed with 4 daughters – Beverly Poitier-Henderson (b. July 5, 1952), Pamela Poitier (b. April 12, 1954), Sherri Poitier (b. July 12, 1956), and Gina Poitier (b. May 1, 1961).
- Diahann Carroll (1959-1968) – In the year 1959, he became romantically involved with actor Diahann Carroll. Their affair lasted for around 9 years and ended in 1968.
- Susan Denberg (1967) – Poitier had a short-termed affair with German model and actor Susan Denberg between May 1967 and June 1967.
- Joanna Shimkus (1976-2022) – On January 23, 1976, he married Canadian actor Joanna Shimkus and they remained together until his death in 2022. On February 29, 1972, they welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Anika Poitier. Their 2nd daughter (and Sidney Poitier’s 6th daughter), Sydney Tamiia Poitier, was born on November 15, 1973.
Race / Ethnicity
Black
Sidney Poitier was of African-Bahamian descent.
Hair Color
Salt and Pepper
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Deep-set eyes
Brand Endorsements
He appeared in a “Stand Up To Cancer Dot Org” commercial in 2008.
Religion
He grew up a Catholic but later became an agnostic, with views closer to deism.
Sidney Poitier Facts
- His parents were Bahamian farmers who owned a farm on Cat Island.
- His entire family lived in the Bahamas but as he was born unexpectedly in Miami, he was automatically granted U.S. citizenship.
- He was born 2 months premature.
- In 1956, he became a resident of Mount Vernon in Westchester County, New York.
- Sidney Poitier co-starred as Homer Smith in the 1963 comedy-drama film Lilies of the Field, a role for which he won the Academy Award for “Best Actor” and Golden Globe Award for “Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama”.
- In 1997, he portrayed the character of Nelson Mandela, a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist, in the made-for-television drama film Mandela and de Klerk. This performance got Poitier nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or Movie” and Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie”.
- Sidney Poitier received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1982 and the BAFTA Fellowship for outstanding lifetime achievement in film in 2016.
Featured Image by United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / U.S. Federal Government / Public Domain
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