Sidney Poitier is known the world over for his sensitive and powerful portrayals in such socially charged films as “Cry, the Beloved Country,” “Something of Value,” “The Defiant Ones,” “Pressure Point,” “A Patch of Blue,” “To Sir With Love,” “In The Heat of the Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,”  “Lilies of the Field,”  and many others.

He has been walking tall among Hollywood’s most respected and honored stars for more than five decades.  He made his motion picture debut in Joseph Mankiewicz’s “No Way Out,” garnered critical acclaim and national recognition in ”Blackboard Jungle,” received his first Academy Award nomination for “The Defiant Ones” in 1959, and won the coveted Oscar, in 1964, for ‘Best Actor’ for his performance in “Lilies of the Field.”

Born in Miami, Florida, he grew up on Cat Island, in the Bahamas, where his father owned and worked a tomato farm.  Educated at secondary schools in Nassau, Bahamas, Poitier returned to the States at 15 finding his way to New York.  Two years later, he enlisted in the Army where he served with the 126-7th Medical Detachment as a physiotherapist.

After World War II, Poitier returned to New York where he worked at the variety of jobs available to aspiring actors.  He joined the American Negro Theatre and worked backstage in exchange for acting lessons. “Lysistrata,” his first professional piece was quickly followed by “Freight” and “Anna Lucasta,” before creating the  Broadway role of Walter Lee Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun.”  It was the  “Lysistrata” exposure that led to his screen test for “No Way Out.” His other Broadway credits include a directorial assignment for “Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights.”    

His roles have run the gamut from escaped convict in “The Defiant Ones” to U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, in “Separate but Equal.” In the early 70s’, starting with his “Buck and the Preacher” directorial film debut, (in which he co-starred with Harry Belafonte) Poitier was able to combine his acting and directing talents.  Other directorial credits include “A Warm December,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Stir Crazy,” “Hanky Panky,” “Fast Forward,” “Lets Do It Again,” “A Piece of the Action, ” and “Ghost Dad” which starred Bill Cosby.

In 1969, Poitier joined forces with Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand, Steve McQueen, and Dustin Hoffman to form ‘First Artists Productions, Ltd.’

Poitier bears a highly regarded name in the entertainment business.  In addition to his obvious personal success, he has been a leading figure among black achievers.  As a film director he created employment for hundreds of minority actors, and made sure that at least 25% of the people working behind cameras were likewise minority representatives.

Mr. Poitier holds a dual diplomatic appointment, serving as the Ambassador to Japan and the Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); both posts representing the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.  He is the recipient of four Honorary Doctorate Degrees; the most recent of which was awarded on May 1995 from New York University. 

During his career, which spans more than 50 years, this Academy Award winning actor, director, best selling author, husband, father, grandfather and quite recently, great-grandfather has received many honors and awards; one of the most meaningful and precious being the Knighthood awarded to him by H. M. Queen Elizabeth, II in 1968.  In 2002, Mr. Poitier was presented with a second Oscar for “his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen and for representing the industry with dignity, style and intelligence.”

Other notable citations accumulated during his years as a principal player in American motion pictures are the Giorgi Cini Cultural Foundation Award “Because of Human Values -- Achieving the Summit in the Realm of Both Art and Civilization” as well as the Berlin and Venice Film Festival Awards for his role in “The Defiant Ones.”

He has received the BAFTA Award; three Golden Globe Awards; An American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award; The Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award; The Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award; the Black Movie Distinguished Career Award; six NAACP Image Awards; two Golden Bear Awards from the Berlin Film Festival; and numerous Emmy Nominations.

He currently resides in Beverly Hills with his wife, Joanna.