Hollywood mourns for Sidney Poitier, the first black actor to win an Oscar

Celebrated Hollywood stars, including noted actors Harry Belafonte, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, and Jeffrey Wright wrote tributes for Oscar-winning actor, director, civil rights activist and humanitarian Sidney Poitier, who passed away on January 6, at the age of 94.

Sidney Poitier with his Oscar. Photos: Collected

"For over 80 years, Sidney and I laughed, cried and made as much mischief as we could," said Harry Belafonte, who had met Poitier in the mid-1940s while working at The American Negro Theatre in New York City. "He was truly my brother and partner in trying to make this world a little better. He certainly made mine a whole lot better."

"It was a privilege to call Sidney Poitier my friend. He was a gentleman, and opened doors for all of us that had been closed for years. God bless him and his family," shared Denzel Washington in a statement.

Tributes from Don Cheadle, Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra, Robert Redford, Stephen Perry, John Amos, Oprah Winfrey, Viola Davis, Questlove, Bob Iger, former chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Co, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and CCO of Netflix, and his wife Nicole Avant, Tony Bennett, and Berry Gordy, also poured in for the late legend.

Former US President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, Michael B Jordan and SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher also walked down their memory lane, sharing experiences and memories of Poitier, speaking about his humble and down-to-earth nature, his impeccable performances and his strong stand against racism.  

Breaking the stereotypes around the portrayal of Black actors in Hollywood, Poitier went on to become one of the most cherished actors with over 40 films to his credits.

Collage: Courtesy of Prothom Alo

Bagging the Academy Award for best actor for his role in "Lilies of the Field" in 1963, after an earlier best actor nomination, and the first for a non-white actor, for "The Defiant Ones" (1958), he decided to turn down multiple roles to challenge the status of coloured artistes during his active years.

Aiding the launch of "First Artists", Poitier spent years as a writer and director, following his head start on Broadway. He also authored an autobiography which he chose to call "This Life". Some of his most appreciated works include "A Raisin in the Sun", "To Sir, with Love", and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", among many others.