He was the first person of African descent to ever receive an Academy Award. During his more than sixty years as an actor, he demonstrated to other Black artists what they were capable of accomplishing.
At the time of his passing on January 6 at the age of 94, he was the subject of a great deal of praise and admiration. The former President of the United States, Barack Obama, who served from 2009 to 2011, remarked that Sidney was a very talented individual who behaved with honor and respect.
Denzel Washington, a celebrity who is even more well-known, expressed that it was a privilege to meet Sidney. According to him, the individual was quite kind and assisted all of them in opening doors that had been locked for a considerable amount of time.
Following his breakthrough performance in the film Blackboard Jungle in 1955, Sidney Poitier appeared in a total of 55 films and television series. Through his work in Hollywood, he has been known for breaking down racial barriers.
People have a saying that goes, “Behind every successful man is a woman.” Regarding Sidney Poitier, I concur with your assessment. They tied the knot in 1976, and Joanna Shimkus, a Canadian actress, was his bride. During the time that he was married, he had four children, and his first wife passed away while he was married.
The youngest of his seven children, Sidney Poitier was the youngest of his children. He spent his childhood on Cat Island, which is located in the Bahamas, with his father, who was a farmer. The family traveled to Miami for reasons related to their business. It came as a complete surprise when Poitier was born three months earlier than expected. It was for this reason that he turned became a citizen of the United States.
In the year that he was fifteen years old, Sidney Poitier arrived in the United States of America after relocating to Nassau, which is the capital city of the Bahamas. Although he lied about his age, he served in the military during World War II when he was only a teenager.
He had a job as a cleaner when he was discharged from the military. After that, he was given the opportunity to audition for a role at the American Negro Theatre, which is located in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. It was his second attempt at the task. On the very first occasion, when he was 18 years old, they informed him that he was unable to perform due to his foreign accent.
On the other hand, she did not give up. His goal was to acquire the ability to talk with a variety of accents, so he purchased a radio and read various publications and newspapers. His reading and linguistic skills were improved with the assistance of an elderly Jewish waiter.
Sidney Poitier returned to the production business for a second audition after a year and a half had passed since his initial audition. When he applied to the school, he was granted admission, which marked the beginning of his professional life. In the course of his labor, he was honored with a great number of honors.
He became the first Black actor to ever win an Academy Award for his performance in the film “Lilies of the Field,” which earned him his first Oscar. However, it is possible that he had his most significant role in “The Lost Man,” which is also the theater in which he first met Joanna Shimkus, who would later become his wife. A divorce was finalized between him and his first wife, Juanita Hardy, in 1969, which was four years prior to this.
Additionally, it was the year that he ended his relationship with the actress Diahann Carroll, which had lasted for nine years.
During the fifty years that spanned from 1950 to 1965, Sidney Hardy was married to Juanita Hardy. He was married to Joanna Shimkus for a considerable amount of time and had two daughters with her throughout that period.
In 1998, JOA made the statement that “We were meant to be together.”
Between the years 1972 and 2010, she took a break from performing in order to focus on raising their two children, Anika and Sidney. The two of their daughters followed in their parents’ footsteps.
The title of the film that Anika directed was “Black Irish,” and Joanna was also one of the executive producers collaborating on the project. The film “Death Proof” by Quentin Tarantino and the film “Veronica Mars” both featured Sidney at the same time respectively.
When Sidney Poitier was interviewed by Closer, he discussed the ways in which he and his wife were able to make their marriage successful. He made the following statement: “My wife has taught me over the years how important it is to say ‘I love you’ every single day.”
According to a quotation from People magazine, Sidney was cited as stating, “My wife and kids mean everything to me.” According to Joanna Shimkus, another factor that contributed to their continued relationship was the fact that she was an excellent cook. Every night, it is my responsibility to prepare a meal for him and to treat him with respect.
Despite the fact that he had received awards from the Queen and the President of the United States of America, as well as an honorary Academy Award, Sidney never lost sight of the fact that his family was the most important thing in the world.
A number of his family members, including his six daughters, eight granddaughters, and three great-grandchildren, as well as his current wife and his ex-wife, would frequently gather together.
There are several instances throughout history of couples who had to navigate the challenges of being in a relationship with someone of a different race.
However, Joanna stated that she and her husband did not experience any difficulties at all.
During the process of making a documentary titled “Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light,” Joanna Shimkus discussed her friendship with Sidney Poitier. “In Canada, I never experienced the same level of prejudice that I do in the United States,” she said. Due to the fact that we have a peaceful existence, we have not had any problems in our lives. In my opinion, he was not a Black man but rather a wonderful individual.
Sidney Poitier, may my prayers bring you peace. You will be remembered by others for the talent, kindness, and strength that you shown when things were difficult.