UPDATED 1/21, 10:01 p.m. ET: Statement from the family of Mr. Sidney Poitier:
The Poitier family so appreciates the wonderful outpouring of love, support and affection for Sidney. There have been many inquiries about an event to honor his life. At this time, due to the coronavirus pandemic, a private memorial service has been arranged for the family with the possibility of a more public memorial service should the virus’ numbers subside in the near future.
History-making actor Sidney Poitier is dead at the age of 94.
The legendary actor’s death was announced by Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell, per Eyewitness News Bahamas. TMZ has also reported Poitier’s death, though—at the time of this writing—additional details had not been released.
For his role in the 1963 James Poe film Lilies of the Field, Sidney Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor, making history as the first Black actor to win in the category. He was previously nominated for 1958’s The Defiant Ones and earned an honorary Oscar in 2002.
“Because it is a long journey to this moment, I am naturally indebted to countless numbers of people,” Poitier said at the 36th Academy Awards in 1964 when accepting the Best Actor honor.
With his first wife Juanita Hardy, Poitier had four daughters, as noted by the AP. And with Joanna Shimkus, an actress and Poitier’s second wife, he had two children. Among the actor’s kids is daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier, whose recent credits include the TV series Carter the the 2017 film Clinical.
Denzel Washington presented Poitier with the aforementioned honorary award in 2002, with the Training Day actor speaking candidly about the impact Poitier’s body of work had on the industry.
“He was the reason a movie got made, the first solo above-the-title African American movie star,” Washington said when presenting the award. “He was unique.”
In addition to his celebrated approach to acting, Poitier’s filmography also included several directing projects, including Uptown Saturday Night and Stir Crazy. In January of last year, Poitier was honored at Arizona State University with the name of its new film school, Sidney Poitier New American Film School. Notably, Lilies of the Filedwas shot in the state in 1963.
Poitier’s extended legacy also includes his impactful work as an activist. In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared words of praise for Poitier, saying he was a “man of great depth” who was committed to human rights issues.
“Here is a man who, in the words we so often hear now, is a soul brother,” King said.
Feb. 20 would have marked Poitier’s 95th birthday. RIP.
