Actor Sidney Poitier died today, January 7th. The death was confirmed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas, the actor’s country of origin, who also had American nationality. Although the death has been confirmed, the cause of death has not yet been released.
Poitier had an extensive career as an actor, which spanned over 70 years. The star was a milestone in the history of cinema, not only for his films, but for being the first black actor to win an Oscar. The award came in 1963, for her role in “A Voice in the Shadows”.
In the film, Sidney Poitier is an unemployed worker heading to the American West, when his car breaks down and he ends his story he comes across some German nuns. The film is available at Amazon Prime Video. In addition to Sydney’s Oscar for the film, he also won a lifetime achievement award in the 2002 edition.
Sidney’s first statuette came more than 20 years after Hattie McDaniel, the first black woman to win an Oscar for “Gone with the Wind”, in 1940. The time lag between awards shows just how rare the industry is. The actor’s last appearance at the celebration was in 2014, when he presented the best director category alongside Angelina Jolie.
Still, Sidney’s extensive career was not her only influence. The actor was also a civil rights activist. His social participation was recognized by President Barack Obama in 2009, when Poitier won a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Furthermore, the actor was also the Ambassador of the Bahamas from 1997 to 2007.
In addition to the Oscar-winning feature, Sidney Poitier is also known for classic films such as “To the Master with Love”, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, “In the Heat of the Night”, among others. The actor was one of the last living names of the so-called “Golden Age of Hollywood” and leaves 6 children, among them actress Sidney Tamiia Poitier.
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