From Lillies of the Field to The Sir, with Love, we take a look back at Sidney Poitier's life and career in photos.
Filmography
-
Known For
Lilies of the Field Homer Smith (1963) -
In the Heat of the Night Det. Virgil Tibbs (1967) -
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner John Prentice (1967) -
Known For
The Defiant Ones Noah Cullen (1958) -
Actor
The Last Brickmaker in America Henry Cobb (2001) -
The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn Noah Dearborn (1999) -
David and Lisa Dr. Jack Miller (1998) -
Free of Eden Will Cleamons (1998) -
The Jackal Preston (1997) -
Mandela and de Klerk Nelson Mandela (1997) -
To Sir, with Love II Mark Thackeray (1996) -
Children of the Dust Gypsy Smith (1995) -
Sneakers Crease (1992) -
Separate But Equal Thurgood Marshall (1991) -
![Little Nikita]( "Little Nikita")
Little Nikita Roy Parmenter (1988) -
![Shoot to Kill]( "Shoot to Kill")
Shoot to Kill Warren Stantin (1988) -
![A Piece of the Action]( "A Piece of the Action")
A Piece of the Action Manny Durrell (1977) -
![Let's Do It Again]( "Let's Do It Again")
Let's Do It Again Clyde Williams (1975) -
![The Wilby Conspiracy]( "The Wilby Conspiracy")
The Wilby Conspiracy Shack Twala (1975) -
![Uptown Saturday Night]( "Uptown Saturday Night")
Uptown Saturday Night Steve Jackson (1974) -
![A Warm December]( "A Warm December")
A Warm December Dr. Matt Younger (1973) -
![Buck and the Preacher]( "Buck and the Preacher")
Buck and the Preacher Buck (1972) -
![The Organization]( "The Organization")
The Organization Virgil Tibbs (1971) -
![Brother John]( "Brother John")
Brother John John Kane (1971) -
![They Call Me Mister Tibbs!]( "They Call Me Mister Tibbs!")
They Call Me Mister Tibbs! Virgil Tibbs (1970) -
![The Lost Man]( "The Lost Man")
The Lost Man Jason Higgs (1969) -
![For Love of Ivy]( "For Love of Ivy")
For Love of Ivy Jack Parks (1968) -
![Guess Who's Coming to Dinner]( "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner")
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner John Prentice (1967) -
![In the Heat of the Night]( "In the Heat of the Night")
In the Heat of the Night Det. Virgil Tibbs (1967) -
![To Sir, with Love]( "To Sir, with Love")
To Sir, with Love Mark Thackeray (1967) -
![Duel at Diablo]( "Duel at Diablo")
Duel at Diablo Toller (1966) -
![A Patch of Blue]( "A Patch of Blue")
A Patch of Blue Gordon Ralfe (1965) -
![The Slender Thread]( "The Slender Thread")
The Slender Thread Alan Newell (1965) -
![The Bedford Incident]( "The Bedford Incident")
The Bedford Incident Ben Munceford (1965) -
![The Greatest Story Ever Told]( "The Greatest Story Ever Told")
The Greatest Story Ever Told Simon of Cyrene (1965) -
![The Long Ships]( "The Long Ships")
The Long Ships Aly Mansuh (1964) -
![Lilies of the Field]( "Lilies of the Field")
Lilies of the Field Homer Smith (1963) -
![Pressure Point]( "Pressure Point")
Pressure Point Doctor (1962) -
![Paris Blues]( "Paris Blues")
Paris Blues Eddie Cook (1961) -
![A Raisin in the Sun]( "A Raisin in the Sun")
A Raisin in the Sun Walter Lee Younger (1961) -
![All the Young Men]( "All the Young Men")
All the Young Men Sgt. Eddie Towler (1960) -
![Porgy and Bess]( "Porgy and Bess")
Porgy and Bess Porgy (1959) -
![Our Virgin Island]( "Our Virgin Island")
Our Virgin Island Marcus (1958) -
![The Defiant Ones]( "The Defiant Ones")
The Defiant Ones Noah Cullen (1958) -
![The Mark of the Hawk]( "The Mark of the Hawk")
The Mark of the Hawk Obam (1957) -
![Band of Angels]( "Band of Angels")
Band of Angels Rau-Ru (1957) -
![Something of Value]( "Something of Value")
Something of Value Kimani Wa Karanja (1957) -
![Edge of the City]( "Edge of the City")
Edge of the City Tommy Tyler (1957) -
![Good-bye, My Lady]( "Good-bye, My Lady")
Good-bye, My Lady Gates Watson (1956) -
![The Philco Television Playhouse]( "The Philco Television Playhouse")
The Philco Television Playhouse Tommy Tyler (1952-1955) -
![Ponds Theater]( "Ponds Theater")
Ponds Theater (1955) -
![Blackboard Jungle]( "Blackboard Jungle")
Blackboard Jungle Gregory W. Miller (1955) -
![Go Man Go]( "Go Man Go")
Go Man Go Inman Jackson (1954) -
![Omnibus]( "Omnibus")
Omnibus (segment "The Bad Men") (1952) -
![Red Ball Express]( "Red Ball Express")
Red Ball Express Cpl. Andrew Robertson (1952) -
![CBS Television Workshop]( "CBS Television Workshop")
CBS Television Workshop (1952) -
![Cry, the Beloved Country]( "Cry, the Beloved Country")
Cry, the Beloved Country Reverend Msimangu (1951) -
![No Way Out]( "No Way Out")
No Way Out Dr. Luther Brooks (1950) -
Actor
![Sepia Cinderella]( "Sepia Cinderella")
Sepia Cinderella Nightclub Extra (1947) -
Director
![Ghost Dad]( "Ghost Dad")
Ghost Dad (1990) -
![Fast Forward]( "Fast Forward")
Fast Forward (1985) -
![Hanky Panky]( "Hanky Panky")
Hanky Panky (1982) -
![Stir Crazy]( "Stir Crazy")
Stir Crazy (1980) -
![A Piece of the Action]( "A Piece of the Action")
A Piece of the Action (1977) -
![Let's Do It Again]( "Let's Do It Again")
Let's Do It Again (1975) -
![Uptown Saturday Night]( "Uptown Saturday Night")
Uptown Saturday Night (1974) -
![A Warm December]( "A Warm December")
A Warm December (1973) -
Director
![Buck and the Preacher]( "Buck and the Preacher")
Buck and the Preacher (1972) -
Soundtrack
![The 41st Annual Academy Awards]( "The 41st Annual Academy Awards")
-
![Lilies of the Field]( "Lilies of the Field")
Lilies of the Field (1963) -
![Porgy and Bess]( "Porgy and Bess")
Porgy and Bess (1959) -
![The Defiant Ones]( "The Defiant Ones")
The Defiant Ones (1958) -
Soundtrack
![Band of Angels]( "Band of Angels")
Band of Angels (1957) -
Producer
![Free of Eden]( "Free of Eden")
Free of Eden (1998) -
Summer Knowledge (1993)
-
![Buck and the Preacher]( "Buck and the Preacher")
Buck and the Preacher (1972) -
Producer
![Brother John]( "Brother John")
Brother John (1971) -
Writer
![For Love of Ivy]( "For Love of Ivy")
For Love of Ivy (1968) -
Archive footage
![The Oscars]( "The Oscars")
The Oscars (2022) -
![The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards]( "The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards")
-
![We Need to Talk About Cosby]( "We Need to Talk About Cosby")
We Need to Talk About Cosby (2022) -
![Entertainment Tonight]( "Entertainment Tonight")
Entertainment Tonight (2021-2022) -
![Extra]( "Extra")
Extra (2022) -
![Here and Now]( "Here and Now")
Here and Now (2022) -
![Good Morning America]( "Good Morning America")
Good Morning America (2022) -
![The Talk]( "The Talk")
The Talk (2022) -
![CBS News Sunday Morning]( "CBS News Sunday Morning")
CBS News Sunday Morning (2022) -
![Movie Night Extravaganza]( "Movie Night Extravaganza")
Movie Night Extravaganza (2022) -
![Fox News Live]( "Fox News Live")
Fox News Live (2022) -
![TCM Remembers Sidney Poitier]( "TCM Remembers Sidney Poitier")
TCM Remembers Sidney Poitier (2022) -
![NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt]( "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt")
-
![Access Hollywood]( "Access Hollywood")
Access Hollywood (2022) -
![Anderson Cooper 360°]( "Anderson Cooper 360°")
Anderson Cooper 360° (2022) -
![Wolfgang]( "Wolfgang")
Wolfgang (2021) -
![Independent Lens]( "Independent Lens")
Independent Lens (2021) -
![Hollywood Insider]( "Hollywood Insider")
Hollywood Insider (2021) -
![Hollywood's Stories]( "Hollywood's Stories")
Hollywood's Stories (2019) -
![The Movies]( "The Movies")
The Movies (2019) -
![Frank Sinatra: One More for the Road]( "Frank Sinatra: One More for the Road")
-
![History]( "History")
History (2019) -
![They've Gotta Have Us]( "They've Gotta Have Us")
They've Gotta Have Us (2018) -
![Quincy]( "Quincy")
Quincy (2018) -
![Dooley's Not Dooby]( "Dooley's Not Dooby")
Dooley's Not Dooby (2018) -
![1968: The Year That Changed America]( "1968: The Year That Changed America")
-
![Mr. Soul!]( "Mr. Soul!")
Mr. Soul! (2018) -
![Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me]( "Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me")
-
![The Green Fog]( "The Green Fog")
The Green Fog (2017) -
![The Oscars]( "The Oscars")
The Oscars (2017) -
![Nunca es tarde]( "Nunca es tarde")
Nunca es tarde (2017) -
![National Endowment for the Arts: United States of Arts]( "National Endowment for the Arts: United States of Arts")
-
![A Football Life]( "A Football Life")
A Football Life (2016) -
![I Am Not Your Negro]( "I Am Not Your Negro")
I Am Not Your Negro (2016) -
![Becoming Mike Nichols]( "Becoming Mike Nichols")
Becoming Mike Nichols (2016) -
![The Oscars]( "The Oscars")
The Oscars (2015) -
![Too Young to Die]( "Too Young to Die")
Too Young to Die (2014) -
![And the Oscar Goes to...]( "And the Oscar Goes to...")
And the Oscar Goes to... (2014) -
![The Oscars]( "The Oscars")
The Oscars (2013) -
![B.B. King: The Life of Riley]( "B.B. King: The Life of Riley")
B.B. King: The Life of Riley (2012) -
![Lulu: Something to Shout About]( "Lulu: Something to Shout About")
-
![The Loving Story]( "The Loving Story")
The Loving Story (2011) -
![These Amazing Shadows]( "These Amazing Shadows")
These Amazing Shadows (2011) -
![Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood]( "Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood")
-
-
-
![The Factor]( "The Factor")
The Factor (2008) -
-
Bicentennial Nigger (2006)
-
![Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That]( "Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That")
-
![TV in Black: The First Fifty Years]( "TV in Black: The First Fifty Years")
-
![A Century of Black Cinema]( "A Century of Black Cinema")
A Century of Black Cinema (2003) -
![American Dreams]( "American Dreams")
American Dreams (2003) -
![Playboy: Inside the Playboy Mansion]( "Playboy: Inside the Playboy Mansion")
-
![American Masters]( "American Masters")
American Masters (2000-2001) -
![Playboy 2000: The Party Continues]( "Playboy 2000: The Party Continues")
-
![Omnibus]( "Omnibus")
Omnibus (2000) -
![Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist]( "Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist")
-
![Classified X]( "Classified X")
Classified X (1998) -
![Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood]( "Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood")
-
![Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years]( "Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years")
-
![Biography]( "Biography")
Biography (1995) -
![100 Years at the Movies]( "100 Years at the Movies")
100 Years at the Movies (1994) -
One to One (1992)
-
![The Republic Pictures Story]( "The Republic Pictures Story")
The Republic Pictures Story (1991) -
![Black Hollywood]( "Black Hollywood")
Black Hollywood (1984) -
![America at the Movies]( "America at the Movies")
America at the Movies (1976) -
![Film Night]( "Film Night")
Film Night (1971) -
Archive footage
![King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis]( "King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis")
-
![Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed]( "Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed")
All Filmography
Videos
Did You Know
Trivia
In September 2019, he was honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month.
Quotes
I decided in my life that I would do nothing that did not reflect positively on my father's life.
Personal Details
Born
Sidney L. Poitier
Miami, Florida, USA
Died
(age 94)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Height:
6' 2½" (1.89 m)Contribute to this page
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