Sidney Poitier, Groundbreaking Bahamian-American Actor, Dies At 94
Sidney Poitier, the first black man to win an Oscar for best actor for his role in the 1963 movie Lilies of the Field, has died at the age of 94.
Poitier, whose family is from the Bahamas, was known for his stellar performances in many other films including Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night and Shoot to Kill.
Born in Miami, he grew up on a tomato farm in the Bahamas and moved to New York aged 16.
He signed up for a short stint in the army and did several odd jobs while taking acting lessons, en route to becoming a star of the stage and screen in the 1950s and 60s.
Speaking on a live Facebook stream on Friday, The Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis said: “Our whole Bahamas grieves. But even as we mourn, we celebrate the life of a great Bahamian.”
He added: “His strength of character, his willingness to stand up and be counted and the way he plotted and navigated his life’s journey.