In 1967, Sidney Poitier Starred in Three Hits in One Year
He had already made Oscar history. Then he became the biggest box office star in America.
Sidney Poitier grew up on Cat Island in the Bahamas and moved to New York as a teenager with very little money. He taught himself to read better by studying newspapers and lost his Caribbean accent by listening to the radio.
Oscar history
In 1964, Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field. He was the first Black man to win the award.
The remarkable year
In 1967, three of his films were released: To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night, with the famous line "They call me Mister Tibbs!"; and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. All three were hits, and he became the top box office star in the country.
A life of service
Poitier later directed films, wrote memoirs and served as the Bahamas' ambassador to Japan. In 2009 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He died in 2022 at age 94. Many actors cite him as the reason they believed they could succeed in Hollywood.
This story is based on the stars' own interviews and memoirs and on widely reported history. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
