Sidney Poitier Changed The World For Young Black Actors


Sidney Poitier has had a huge impact on cinema. As reported by the National Post, the 88-year-old actor changed cinema by “demanding and deserving a difference.”

Last month, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awarded Sidney Poitier its most respected award, the BAFTA Fellowship. And he deserved it not because he is a black actor, but because he is one of the greatest actors of all time.

In 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first black actor to win an Oscar for best actor. It was his performance in Lillies of the Field that brought him both fame and the Oscar.

When presenting the Oscar, Anne Bancroft gave Poitier a kiss on the cheek, which triggered quite an outrage from racial conservatives.

And even though at that time interracial marriage was still against the law and civil rights workers were killed on daily basis, when Sidney Poitier held his first Oscar in his hands, something changed in the world.

And the photograph of Sidney Poitier holding the Oscar in his hands allowed black people to feel empowered to make the change. But the world hasn’t fully made the change. And the most recent proof of that is the fact that no black or minority actor was nominated in the four Oscars acting categories for the second year in a row, sparking worldwide controversy and discussion.

In 1967, Sidney Poitier appeared in school drama To Sir, With Love, and became the first actor who gave up his fee (he was offered $1 million in fees) in exchange for a share of the profits. And it turned out to be the right call, as the film became the decade’s third-biggest British film at the U.S. box office.

As a result, Sidney Poitier became rich and introduced actors and actresses to a new way of making money on their movies. Poitier also published a sci-fi novel and even served as the Bahamian ambassador to Japan. But his most appreciated and valuable accomplishment is the kind of influence he has had on young black actors around the world.

BAFTA’s decision to award Sidney Poitier its BAFTA Fellowship award comes at the time when racial issues in Hollywood reached their peak, while the first black president of the U.S. is spending his last months in the Oval Office.

But it must be noted that the Fellowship award recognizes first of all the acting talent, not the skin of the color. Sidney Poitier received the award for his classic and memorable performances in the legendary films of the last century.

However, Sidney Poitier wasn’t able to attend the BAFTA Awards in person due to health issues, so the 88-year-old actor accepted the award via video at home, according to People.

“Today my cup runneth over because I am here with my daughter and the future filmmakers of the world in celebration of this wonderful art form.”

According to reports, Sidney Poitier was advised by his personal health doctor to “refrain from transatlantic travel at this time.” So the BAFTA came to his home!

Since Sidney Poitier couldn’t travel to London to accept the award, Jamie Foxx visited the actor along with the actor’s daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier and presented the award at the Lillies of the Field actor’s Los Angeles home.

Sidney Poitier became the first black actor to receive an Oscar in the Best Actor category, all these years later it is disappointing for so many to see that this year’s Academy Awards had racist issues written all over it. First, the Academy didn’t nominate a single black or minority actor in the four Oscars acting categories, and then the ceremony’s host Chris Rock made stereotypical racial comments about Asian people.

[Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images]

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