Actor Sidney Poitier, born in 1927, was the son of farmer parents who lived in the Bahamas and traveled to Miami for work opportunities. Poitier was delivered prematurely in the United States, thus giving him dual citizenship. He was raised until age of 16 in the island nation before his parents sent the delinquent youth to New York.
Toiling in a series of odd jobs, Poitier lied about his age to enter the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged after a year. Working as a dishwasher in New York, Poitier learned of a series of acting auditions for the American Negro Theater (ANT). After failing to make the troupe his first time, Poitier’s second audition landed him a spot in the ANT’s ranks.
The ANT’s production of “Days Of Your Youth” also featured a young Harry Belafonte and Poitier was often a stand-in his fellow Caribbean descendant. In 1950, Poitier made his film debut in “No Way Out” as Dr. Luther Brooks. His refined acting skills, dashing good looks, and distinctive voice made him an early star. (READ MORE)
