The popular actor Sidney Poitier has passed away today January 7th at the age of 94.
He was popularly known for being the first Black man to win an Oscar for his work in the film Lilies Of The Field in 1964 and he his somehow regarded as the most influential actor of all time.
POITIER LIFE
Poitier was previously married to Juanita Hardy but the two back in 1960 and he later married Joanna Shimkus, in 1969 and till now the 2 we’re together.
Piotier was born in 1927 in Miami, Florida but grew up on a tomato farm in the Bahamas, as both of his parents were in this line of work.
He moved to New York when he was 16, taking various jobs to pay the rent, while taking acting lessons.
Poitier’s first breakout role came in 1955 in The Blackboard Jungle, and his role in The Defiant Ones got him his first Oscar nomination.
His Death
Sidney Poitier’s death was confirmed first by the Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fred Mitchell.
As of the time of this post, the cause of death is still unknown.
His Wife Joanna Shimkus
POITIER and Joanna, had two children’s together after meeting while they were working on the film The Lost Man in 1969. They tied the knot on 23 Jan 1976
Joanna Shimkus born on 30 October 1943 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and moved to the US in the 1960s to pursue her dreams of being an actor and model.
Joanna has appeared in many films in the 1960s and 70s, movies like; The Virgin And The Gypsy, Zita and The Uninvited. After taking a near 40-year break from the industry,
Barack Obama shared his tribute to the late actor online;
Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors.