Over the course of his six-decade career, Sidney Poitier—the first Black man to win an Oscar—is credited with creating opportunities for a large number of other Black actors.
The idol received a deluge of tributes upon his death on January 6 at the age of 94. Sidney was said to be “a singular talent who epitomized dignity and grace” by former President Barack Obama.
“He was a compassionate man and opened doors for all of us that had been closed for years,” a buddy subsequently said. Denzel Washington, an actor who works with Sidney, called it a privilege.
After landing his first major role in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, Sidney Poitier went on to appear in 55 more motion pictures and television programs. He will be known for breaking down racial barriers in Hollywood.
The Canadian actress Joanna Shimkus and the Bahamian-American actor wed in 1976, and as the saying goes, “No man succeeds without a good lady behind him.”
But when he first met Shimkus, he was already married, had four kids, and had an affair.
Poitier was raised on his father’s farm on Cat Island in the Bahamas, where he was the youngest of seven children. There, he lived for the first ten years of his life. Poitier was eligible for U.S. citizenship because of his unannounced arrival three months early. To promote items, the family would take a plane to Miami.
Before moving to America at the age of 15, he lived in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, and lied about his age to enlist in the military as a teenager.
After serving in the army, he worked as a dishwasher before landing a role with the American Negro Theatre in Harlem, New York. After being told he “could hardly read” and couldn’t be an actor because of his accent during his first audition, when he was eighteen, the aspiring actor made another attempt to get in.
He persevered in the face of harsh rejection, buying a radio to mimic accents he heard, reading every newspaper and magazine he could lay his hands on, and enlisting the assistance of an elderly Jewish waiter at the restaurant where he worked as a dishwasher to help him learn to read and broaden his vocabulary.
He returned to the production company for another audition a year and a half later, and this time, he was chosen for the show and the start of a career that would win him numerous awards.
He made his screen debut more than a decade ago, and for the film “Lilies of the Field,” he went on to win his first Oscar more than ten years later.
But his most important role might have been in “The Lost Man,” where he first met Joanna Shimkus.
The movie was released in 1969, four years after Poitier and his first wife Juanita Hardy’s divorce.
It was also the year after his nine-year romance with the actress Diahann Carroll came to an end.
The first marriage of Juanita Hardy and Sidney lasted for fifteen years. They got married in 1950 and got divorced in 1965. Nevertheless, he and Joanna Shimkus’ marriage lasted, and they had two daughters together.
In 1998, Joanna remarked, “I guess we were just destined to be [together].”
Between 1972 and 2010, Shimkus took a hiatus from acting to raise their daughters, Anika and Sidney, who have both continued in their parents’ footsteps.
“Black Irish,” which Shimkus executive produced, was directed by Anika. Sidney had appearances in Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof” and “Veronica Mars” in the meantime.
“There is one key ingredient my wife has helped me to recognize over the years, and that is the importance of articulating love for one another on a daily basis,” Poitier remarked in an interview when discussing how they’ve managed to work together.
In 2016, Sidney told People, “My wife and my children mean the most to me.” Shimkus added, “We’ve been together for 49 years, and I’m a good cook,” as further factors in their long-lasting relationship. I make dinner every night. I look after him well.”
Despite all of his achievements, including a knighthood from the Queen, the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, and an honorary Academy Award for his services to the entertainment business, he never lost sight of the value of family.
The renowned actor would frequently get together with his six daughters, eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and his wife and ex-wife.
Throughout history, there have been several instances of interracial couples struggling to maintain their love.
However, Joanna claimed that neither she nor her husband had any issues with it.
“It’s different from America; growing up in Canada, I never experienced any form of prejudice. That’s just not how I’ve felt. In fact, we’ve never experienced any issues. Perhaps we just have a very tranquil life. I’m not really sure, but it might just be the way things are. However, I never thought of him as a Black man. Even though I am aware that he is Black, I still regarded him as a guy and thought he was an amazing person. In the Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light documentary, she described herself as “an amazing human being.”
Sidney Poitier, rest in peace. People all throughout the world will always have a special place in their hearts for you because of your talent, grace, and fortitude in the face of difficulty.