SIR SIDNEY POITIER

Sir Sidney Poitier, February 20, 1927. Bahamian/American actor, film director, author, and diplomat. He performed in films and plays defying racial stereotyping, giving credibility to black actors. In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. The significance of this achievement was later realized in 1967 when he starred in three films To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner making him the top box office star of that year. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking 22nd on the list of 25. Poitier directed a number of popular movies such as Uptown Saturday Night, and Let's Do It Again (with friend Bill Cosby), and Stir Crazy (starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. In 2002, 38 years after receiving the Best Actor Award, Poitier was chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to receive an Honorary Award, designated To Sidney Poitier in recognition of his accomplishments. Since 1997 he has been the Bahamian ambassador to Japan. On August 12, 2009, Sidney Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America's highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama. Fun Fact: Fluent in Russian.

My top 5 Sidney Poitier movies:
Cry The Beloved Country (1951)
A Raisin in the Sun (1961) (pictured above)
To Sir With Love (1966)
Guess who is coming to Dinner (1967)
They call me Mr. Tibbs (1970)