Sidney Poitier Net Worth
Sidney Poitier Net Worth is
$25 Million
Sidney Poitier Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
A native of Cat Island, The Bahamas (though born in Miami during a mainland visit by his parents), Poitier grew up in poverty as the son of farmers Evelyn (Outten) and Reginald James Poitier, who also drove a cab. He had little formal education and at the age of 15 was sent to Miami to live with his brother, in order to forestall a growing ... | Full Name | Sidney Poitier |
| Net Worth | $25 Million |
| Date Of Birth | February 20, 1927 |
| Place Of Birth | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Height | 6' 2½" (1.89 m) |
| Profession | Actor, Director, Soundtrack |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Spouse | Joanna Shimkus (m. 1976), Juanita Hardy (m. 1950–1965) |
| Children | Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Anika Poitier, Pamela Poitier, Sherri Poitier, Gina Poitier, Beverly Poitier-Henderson |
| Parents | Reginald James Poitier, Evelyn Poitier, Reginald James Poitier, Evelyn Poitier |
| Siblings | Cyril Poitier, Cyril Poitier |
| Nicknames | Sidney L. Poitier, Sir Sidney Poitier, Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Actor, Academy Honorary Award, AFI Life Achievement Award, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture – Drama, Kennedy Center Honors, Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, BAFTA Fellowship, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Act... |
| Nominations | Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie, Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television... |
| Movies | Alice in Wasteland, Any Given Sunday, Throttle |
| TV Shows | Children of the Dust |
| Star Sign | Pisces |
| Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) | $200,000 and % of the gross profits |
| In the Heat of the Night (1967) | $200,000 + 20% of the gross profits |
| Porgy and Bess (1959) | $75,000 |
| No Way Out (1950) | $3,000 |
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | [from Sidney Poitier's speech about Widmark at the D. W. Griffith Award for Life Achievement] The generosity of spirit that lights his way will also warm your heart... |
| 2 | [re writer/director Richard Brooks ] He was both intense and very feeling, very human. He had a wonderful, wonderful sense of other people. He was not particularly enamored of himself. He was the kind off guy who had a sense of fairness, and he employed that sense in his life, and in his work, so that some people were surprised at him, some people deeply loved him, and some people were just put off by him. |
| 3 | I decided in my life that I would do nothing that did not reflect positively on my father's life. |
| 4 | We all suffer from the preoccupation that there exists ... in the loved one, perfection. |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Was born nearly two months prematurely. |
| 2 | Became a father for the 6th time at age 46 when his partner, later 2nd wife, Joanna Shimkus gave birth to their daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier on November 15, 1973. |
| 3 | Became a father for the 4th time at age 34 when his 1st wife Juanita Hardy gave birth to their daughter Gina Poitier on May 1, 1961. |
| 4 | Became a father for the 1st time at age 25 when his 1st wife Juanita Hardy gave birth to their daughter Beverly Poitier-Henderson on July 4, 1952. |
| 5 | Became a father for the 3rd time at age 29 when his 1st wife Juanita Hardy gave birth to their daughter Sherri Poitier on July 12, 1956. |
| 6 | Became a father for the 2nd time at age 27 when his 1st wife Juanita Hardy gave birth to their daughter Pamela Poitier on April 12, 1954. |
| 7 | Became a father for the 5th time at age 45 when his partner, later 2nd wife, Joanna Shimkus gave birth to their daughter Anika Poitier on February 29, 1972. |
| 8 | When Sidney won his Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field (1963), the statuette was presented to him by Anne Bancroft (Santa Monica Civic Auditorium / April 13, 1964). |
| 9 | With the death of Maximilian Schell on February 1, 2014, he is the earliest surviving actor to have won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received his award for playing Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field (1963) at The 36th Annual Academy Awards (1964). |
| 10 | Close friends with Richard Widmark. |
| 11 | He was the visual inspiration for the original illustrations of superhero Green Lantern/John Stewart (created in 1971), the first Afro-American to be member of the Corps. Poitier was 44 years old at the time. |
| 12 | Release of his book, "The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography". [2000] |
| 13 | Release of the book, "Sidney Poitier" by Carol Bergman. [1988] |
| 14 | Release of the book, "Sidney" by William Hoffman. [1971] |
| 15 | Member of the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company. [1998] |
| 16 | Appointed as ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan (he was born in the United States but is a citizen of the Bahamas). [April 1997] |
| 17 | Release of the book, "Sidney Poitier" by David Paige. [1976] |
| 18 | Release of his book, "Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter". [2008] |
| 19 | Release of the book, "Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon" by Aram Goudsouzian. [2004] |
| 20 | Is a long time friend of singer, fellow actor and activist Harry Belafonte. They were born 9 days apart. They met in New York at age 20 before either was in show business. |
| 21 | Has four grandchildren and two great-granddaughters [2008]. |
| 22 | Prostate cancer survivor. |
| 23 | Considered for the male lead for The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), opposite Diana Sands, who had played the part of "Doris" on Broadway. |
| 24 | His role in The Bedford Incident (1965) marked the first time he would play a role in which his character's race was not an issue. |
| 25 | Received the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award. |
| 26 | Along with his name uttered in the lyrics, a photograph of Poitier is held by Busta Rhymes in the 1998 rap video "Gimme Some More". |
| 27 | His performance as Detective Virgil Tibbs in In the Heat of the Night (1967) is ranked #19 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains. |
| 28 | Along with Gary Cooper, is the most represented actor on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, with five of his films on the list. They are: A Raisin in the Sun (1961) at #65, The Defiant Ones (1958) at #55, Lilies of the Field (1963) at #46, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) at #35, and In the Heat of the Night (1967) at #21. |
| 29 | During the early 1980s a man named David Hampton conned his way into the homes of several wealthy and prominent New Yorkers (including a dean at Columbia University) by falsely claiming to be Poitier's son. Playwright John Guare, fascinated by the way the story illustrated the magic that the mere mention of Poiter's name held for people of his generation (especially white people), based his play "Six Degrees of Separation" on Hampton's story. The play was adapted into the movie Six Degrees of Separation (1993) in 1993, with Will Smith as the character based upon Hampton. |
| 30 | His performance as Virgil Tibbs in In the Heat of the Night (1967) is ranked #20 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. |
| 31 | His performance as Virgil Tibbs in In the Heat of the Night (1967) is ranked #55 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). |
| 32 | Future wife Joanna Shimkus encouraged him to direct his first film, Buck and the Preacher (1972), after he and the original director could not agree creatively. |
| 33 | Was nominated for Broadway's 1960 Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "A Raisin in the Sun," a role that he recreated in the film version of the same same, A Raisin in the Sun (1961). |
| 34 | Was named #22 greatest actor on the 50 Greatest Screen Legends by the American Film Institute |
| 35 | Premiere Magazine ranked him as #20 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005). |
| 36 | First black actor to place autograph, hand, and footprints in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre (June 23, 1967). |
| 37 | Fluent in Russian. |
| 38 | Has an honorary doctorate degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. |
| 39 | In the 1960s, for many of his films, he was paid in a way known as "dollar one participation" which basically means he begins collecting a cut of the film's gross from the first ticket sold. |
| 40 | Younger brother of Cyril Poitier. |
| 41 | While trying to sing with some fellow actors in Off-Broadway theatre he found he was tone deaf. |
| 42 | Of Haitian ancestry from his father's side. |
| 43 | His Stir Crazy (1980) was the highest grossing film directed by a black filmmaker until Scary Movie (2000), directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans almost 20 years later. |
| 44 | Appointed an Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1974. Although this is often mistaken to have been an honorary knighthood, it is actually a substantive knighthood, as Poitier is a citizen of The Bahamas, a Commonwealth realm which at the time of his appointment recognized the British Honours System. He is thus entitled to be known as Sir Sidney Poitier, but does not himself use this title. |
| 45 | Stanley Kramer approached him about co-starring in The Defiant Ones (1958), which made him a bigger star, but admitted that if he did not take the role of "Porgy" in Porgy and Bess (1959) for Samuel Goldwyn it might kill his chances to get the role in The Defiant Ones (1958) as Goldwyn had that much clout in Hollywood. |
| 46 | Sits on USC School of Cinema-Television's Board of Councilors. |
| 47 | When he came to New York from the Caribbean to become an actor, he was so impoverished at first that he slept in the bus station. To get his first major role in No Way Out (1950), he lied to director Joseph L. Mankiewicz and told him he was 27, when actually only 22 years old. |
| 48 | In 1963 he became the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role for his role as Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field (1963). The first black man to win an Academy Award was James Baskett (although an Honorary Award) for his role in Song of the South (1946). |
| 49 | Former brother-in-law of light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore. |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Brickmaker in America | 2001 | TV Movie | Henry Cobb |
| The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn | 1999 | TV Movie | Noah Dearborn |
| David and Lisa | 1998 | TV Movie | Dr. Jack Miller |
| Free of Eden | 1998 | TV Movie | Will Cleamons |
| The Jackal | 1997 | FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston | |
| Mandela and de Klerk | 1997 | TV Movie | Nelson Mandela |
| To Sir, with Love II | 1996 | TV Movie | Mark Thackeray |
| Children of the Dust | 1995 | TV Mini-Series | Gypsy Smith |
| Sneakers | 1992 | Donald Crease | |
| Separate But Equal | 1991 | TV Mini-Series | Thurgood Marshall |
| Little Nikita | 1988 | Roy Parmenter | |
| Shoot to Kill | 1988 | Warren Stantin | |
| A Piece of the Action | 1977 | Manny Durrell | |
| Let's Do It Again | 1975 | Clyde Williams | |
| The Wilby Conspiracy | 1975 | Shack Twala | |
| Uptown Saturday Night | 1974 | Steve Jackson | |
| A Warm December | 1973 | Dr. Matt Younger | |
| Buck and the Preacher | 1972 | Buck | |
| The Organization | 1971 | Virgil Tibbs | |
| Brother John | 1971 | John Kane | |
| They Call Me Mister Tibbs! | 1970 | Virgil Tibbs | |
| The Lost Man | 1969 | Jason Higgs | |
| For Love of Ivy | 1968 | Jack Parks | |
| Guess Who's Coming to Dinner | 1967 | John Prentice | |
| In the Heat of the Night | 1967 | Virgil Tibbs | |
| To Sir, with Love | 1967 | Mark Thackeray | |
| Duel at Diablo | 1966 | Toller | |
| A Patch of Blue | 1965 | Gordon Ralfe | |
| The Slender Thread | 1965 | Alan Newell | |
| The Bedford Incident | 1965 | Ben Munceford | |
| The Greatest Story Ever Told | 1965 | Simon of Cyrene | |
| The Long Ships | 1964 | Aly Mansuh | |
| Lilies of the Field | 1963 | Homer Smith | |
| Pressure Point | 1962 | Doctor | |
| Paris Blues | 1961 | Eddie Cook | |
| A Raisin in the Sun | 1961 | Walter Lee Younger | |
| All the Young Men | 1960 | Sgt. Eddie Towler | |
| Porgy and Bess | 1959 | Porgy | |
| Our Virgin Island | 1958 | Marcus | |
| The Defiant Ones | 1958 | Noah Cullen | |
| The Mark of the Hawk | 1957 | Obam | |
| Band of Angels | 1957 | Rau-Ru | |
| Something of Value | 1957 | Kimani Wa Karanja | |
| Edge of the City | 1957 | Tommy Tyler | |
| Good-bye, My Lady | 1956 | Gates Watson | |
| The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse | 1952-1955 | TV Series | Tommy Tyler |
| Ponds Theater | 1955 | TV Series | |
| Blackboard Jungle | 1955 | Gregory W. Miller | |
| Go Man Go | 1954 | Inman Jackson | |
| Red Ball Express | 1952 | Robertson | |
| CBS Television Workshop | 1952 | TV Series | |
| Cry, the Beloved Country | 1951 | Reverend Msimangu | |
| No Way Out | 1950 | Dr. Luther Brooks | |
| Sepia Cinderella | 1947 | Night Club Extra (uncredited) |
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Dad | 1990 | ||
| Fast Forward | 1985 | ||
| Hanky Panky | 1982 | ||
| Stir Crazy | 1980 | ||
| A Piece of the Action | 1977 | ||
| Let's Do It Again | 1975 | ||
| Uptown Saturday Night | 1974 | ||
| A Warm December | 1973 | ||
| Buck and the Preacher | 1972 |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 41st Annual Academy Awards | 1969 | TV Special performer: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" | |
| Lilies of the Field | 1963 | performer: "Amen" - uncredited | |
| Porgy and Bess | 1959 | performer: "They Pass By Singin'", "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'", "Bess, You Is My Woman Now", "I Loves You Porgy", "O Bess, O Where's My Bess", "Finale: O Lawd, I'm On My Way" | |
| The Defiant Ones | 1958 | performer: "Long Gone" |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free of Eden | 1998 | TV Movie executive producer | |
| Buck and the Preacher | 1972 | producer - uncredited | |
| Brother John | 1971 | executive producer - uncredited |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Love of Ivy | 1968 | original story |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Watsons Go to Birmingham | 2013 | TV Movie special acknowledgement | |
| Salvation Road | 2010/I | Short special thanks | |
| Vixen Highway 2006: It Came from Uranus! | 2010 | special thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age | 2016 | Documentary post-production | Himself |
| Scales of Injustice | 2012 | Documentary post-production | Himself |
| The EE British Academy Film Awards | 2016 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| The Edison Language Academy | 2015 | Documentary short | Narrator (voice) |
| Inside Edition | 2014 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 2009-2014 | TV Series | Himself - At the Oscars / Himself - Birthday Greeting to Uncle Frank |
| Live with Kelly and Michael | 2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 86th Annual Academy Awards | 2014 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Best Director |
| The March | 2013 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| CBS News Sunday Morning | 2013 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Guest |
| Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' to Tell You | 2013 | Documentary | Himself |
| 44th NAACP Image Awards | 2013 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Shirley MacLaine | 2012 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Oprah's Master Class | 2012 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| 43rd NAACP Image Awards | 2012 | TV Special | Himself |
| The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards | 2012 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Cecil B. DeMille Award |
| Islands of Life | 2011 | Documentary | Himself |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Morgan Freeman | 2011 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Sing Your Song | 2011 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | 2010 | TV Special | Himself |
| Entertainment Tonight | 2009 | TV Series | Himself |
| Artists of the Bahamas | 2008 | Documentary | |
| Stand Up to Cancer | 2008 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Tavis Smiley | 2008 | TV Series | Himself |
| Larry King Live | 2008 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 80th Annual Academy Awards | 2008 | TV Special | Himself |
| 39th NAACP Image Awards | 2008 | TV Special | Himself |
| Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project | 2007 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Oprah Winfrey Show | 2000-2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy | 2007 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special | 2007 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | 2006 | TV Special | Himself |
| Ali Rap | 2006 | TV Movie | Himself |
| 2006 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Legends Ball | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Lew Rudin Way | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Black Movie Awards | 2005 | TV Special | Himself |
| 36th NAACP Image Awards | 2005 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter |
| 2005 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards | 2005 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Hollywood Legenden | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Tell Them Who You Are | 2004 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Making of 'Sneakers' | 2003 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | 2002 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The Making of 'Changing Lanes' | 2002 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Gala Paramount Pictures Celebrates 90th Anniversary with 90 Stars for 90 Years | 2002 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Corazón, corazón | 2002 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 74th Annual Academy Awards | 2002 | TV Special | Himself - Honorary Award Recipient |
| 2002 Trumpet Awards | 2002 | TV Special | Himself |
| Exclusif | 2002 | TV Series | Himself |
| Muhammad Ali's All-Star 60th Birthday Celebration! | 2002 | TV Special | Himself |
| American Masters | 2001 | TV Series documentary | |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand | 2001 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| 32nd NAACP Image Awards | 2001 | TV Special | Himself |
| Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey | 2001 | Documentary | Narrator |
| Bravo Profiles | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The BBC and the BAFTA Tribute to Michael Caine | 2000 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Biography | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2000 | TV Special | Himself |
| ABC 2000: The Millennium | 1999 | TV Movie documentary | |
| The Howard Stern Radio Show | 1999 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Directors | 1999 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Making of 'The Jackal' | 1998 | Video documentary | Himself |
| League of Legends | 1998 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The 70th Annual Academy Awards | 1998 | TV Special | Himself - Past Winner (uncredited) |
| The 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1997 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | 1997 | TV Special | Himself |
| The 68th Annual Academy Awards | 1996 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Best Picture |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | 1995 | TV Special | Himself - Honoree |
| Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick | 1995 | Documentary | Himself |
| CBS This Morning | 1995 | TV Series | Himself |
| A Century of Cinema | 1994 | Documentary | Himself |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor | 1993 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| An American Reunion: The People's Inaugural Celebration | 1993 | TV Movie | Himself |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Sidney Poitier | 1992 | TV Special | Himself - Guest of Honor |
| Sinatra 75: The Best Is Yet to Come | 1990 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| 7th Annual American Cinema Awards | 1990 | TV Special | Himself |
| 22nd NAACP Image Awards | 1990 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | 1989 | TV Special | Himself |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Gregory Peck | 1989 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Princess Grace Foundation Special Gala Tribute to Cary Grant | 1988 | TV Movie | Himself |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon | 1988 | TV Special documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
| Cinema 3 | 1988 | TV Series | Himself |
| The18th Annual Nosotros Golden Eagle Awards | 1988 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Annual ACLU Honors: A Salute to Michael Douglas | 1987 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The USA Today's 5th Anniversary Gala | 1987 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Bopha! | 1986 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator (voice) |
| The 58th Annual Academy Awards | 1986 | TV Special | Himself - Audience Member |
| The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn | 1986 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| Night of 100 Stars II | 1985 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Good Morning America | 1985 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Third Annual Black Achievement Awards | 1980 | TV Special | Himself |
| Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist | 1979 | Documentary short | Narrator (voice) |
| The 16th Annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner of National Conference of Christians and Jews | 1979 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Mike Douglas Show | 1979 | TV Series | Himself - Taped Tribute |
| The American Film Institute's 10th Anniversary Special | 1977 | TV Movie | Himself |
| ABC Late Night | 1975 | TV Series | Himself |
| The New Bill Cosby Show | 1972 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Dick Cavett Show | 1972 | TV Series | Himself |
| Film Night | 1972 | TV Series | Himself |
| King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis | 1970 | Documentary | Himself |
| The 41st Annual Academy Awards | 1969 | TV Special | Himself - Performer & Co-Presenter: Best Picture |
| The 40th Annual Academy Awards | 1968 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Best Actress in a Leading Role |
| The Joey Bishop Show | 1967 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 39th Annual Academy Awards | 1967 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Best Actress in a Suporting Role |
| ABC Stage 67 | 1967 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
| The Strolling '20s | 1966 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The 37th Annual Academy Awards | 1965 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Best Actress in a Leading Role |
| A Cinderella Named Elizabeth | 1965 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Freedom Spectacular | 1964 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The 36th Annual Academy Awards | 1964 | TV Special | Himself - Winner: Best Actor in a Leading Role & Presenter: Best Film Editing |
| The Jack Paar Tonight Show | 1962 | TV Series | Himself |
| Cinépanorama | 1961 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 15th Annual Tony Awards | 1961 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter |
| Sunday Showcase | 1959 | TV Series | Himself |
| From Whence Cometh My Help | 1949 | Documentary |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| And the Oscar Goes To... | 2014 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The 85th Annual Academy Awards | 2013 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Governors Awards |
| B.B. King: The Life of Riley | 2012 | Documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
| Too Young to Die | 2012 | TV Series documentary | |
| Lulu: Something to Shout About | 2011 | TV Movie documentary | Mark Thackeray (uncredited) |
| The Loving Story | 2011 | Documentary | John Prentice - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner |
| Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood | 2010 | TV Mini-Series documentary | John Prentice Virgil Tibbs |
| Founding Fathers: Sir Stafford Sands | 2009 | ||
| Sidney Poitier, un outsider | 2008 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The O'Reilly Factor | 2008 | TV Series | Det. Virgil Tibbs (scene from 'In the Heat of the Night') |
| Cámara negra. Teatro Victoria Eugenia | 2007 | TV Short documentary | Himself |
| Bicentennial Nigger | 2006 | Short | Aly Mansuh |
| Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That | 2005 | TV Movie documentary | Cpl. Andrew Robertson |
| TV in Black: The First Fifty Years | 2004 | Video documentary | |
| Century of Black Cinema | 2003 | Video documentary | Himself |
| American Dreams | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
| Playboy: Inside the Playboy Mansion | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| American Masters | 2000-2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Playboy: The Party Continues | 2000 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Omnibus | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Classified X | 1998 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist | 1998 | Documentary | Reverend Msimangu |
| Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood | 1998 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| 20th Century-Fox: The First 50 Years | 1997 | TV Movie documentary | Actor 'No Way Out' (uncredited) |
| Biography | 1995 | TV Series documentary | Actor 'No Way Out' |
| 100 Years at the Movies | 1994 | TV Short documentary | Himself |
| Black Hollywood | 1984 | TV Movie documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
| America at the Movies | 1976 | Documentary | Walter Lee Younger |
| Film Night | 1971 | TV Series | Himself |
| Black History: Lost Stolen, or Strayed | 1968 | TV Movie documentary | Himself / Dr. John Wade Prentice (uncredited) |
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Academy Fellowship | BAFTA Awards | BAFTA Film | |
| 2012 | CinEuphoria | CinEuphoria Awards | Career - Honorary Award | |
| 2011 | Gala Tribute | Film Society of Lincoln Center | ||
| 2009 | OFTA Film Hall of Fame | Online Film & Television Association | Acting | |
| 2006 | Britannia Award | BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards | Lifetime Contributions to International Film | |
| 2002 | Honorary Award | Academy Awards, USA | For his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen and for representing the ... More | |
| 2001 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Spoken Word Album | For "The Measure of a Man" |
| 2001 | Hall of Fame | Image Awards | ||
| 2001 | Governors' Award | Society of Camera Operators | ||
| 2000 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special | The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn (1999) |
| 2000 | Life Achievement Award | Screen Actors Guild Awards | ||
| 1994 | Career Achievement Award | National Board of Review, USA | ||
| 1994 | Star on the Walk of Fame | Walk of Fame | Motion Picture | On 1 February 1994. At 7065 Hollywood Blvd. |
| 1992 | Life Achievement Award | American Film Institute, USA | ||
| 1982 | Cecil B. DeMille Award | Golden Globes, USA | ||
| 1976 | Image Award | Image Awards | Best Director | Let's Do It Again (1975) |
| 1969 | Henrietta Award | Golden Globes, USA | World Film Favorite - Male | |
| 1969 | Fotogramas de Plata | Fotogramas de Plata | Best Foreign Performer (Mejor intérprete de cine extranjero) | Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) |
| 1968 | Prize San Sebastián | San Sebastián International Film Festival | Best Actor | For Love of Ivy (1968) |
| 1967 | Golden Apple | Golden Apple Awards | Male Star of the Year | |
| 1964 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Lilies of the Field (1963) |
| 1964 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Actor - Drama | Lilies of the Field (1963) |
| 1963 | Silver Berlin Bear | Berlin International Film Festival | Best Actor | Lilies of the Field (1963) |
| 1959 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Foreign Actor | The Defiant Ones (1958) |
| 1958 | Silver Berlin Bear | Berlin International Film Festival | Best Actor | The Defiant Ones (1958) |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Gold Derby Award | Gold Derby Awards | Life Achievement (Performer) | |
| 2010 | Gold Derby Award | Gold Derby Awards | Life Achievement (Performer) | |
| 2008 | Gold Derby Award | Gold Derby Awards | Life Achievement (Performer) | |
| 2007 | Gold Derby Award | Gold Derby Awards | Life Achievement (Performer) | |
| 2000 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Network/Cable - Best Actor | The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn (1999) |
| 1998 | Blockbuster Entertainment Award | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Supporting Actor - Suspense | The Jackal (1997) |
| 1998 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series | Mandela and de Klerk (1997) |
| 1998 | Golden Satellite Award | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Mandela and de Klerk (1997) |
| 1998 | Actor | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries | Mandela and de Klerk (1997) |
| 1997 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special | Mandela and de Klerk (1997) |
| 1997 | CableACE | CableACE Awards | Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Mandela and de Klerk (1997) |
| 1996 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series | Children of the Dust (1995) |
| 1995 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Sneakers (1992) |
| 1992 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Separate But Equal (1991) |
| 1991 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special | Separate But Equal (1991) |
| 1974 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | A Warm December (1973) |
| 1971 | Henrietta Award | Golden Globes, USA | World Film Favorite - Male | |
| 1971 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | The Organization (1971) |
| 1970 | Henrietta Award | Golden Globes, USA | World Film Favorite - Male | |
| 1970 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Male Star | 7th place. |
| 1968 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Actor - Drama | In the Heat of the Night (1967) |
| 1968 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Foreign Actor | In the Heat of the Night (1967) |
| 1967 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Foreign Actor | A Patch of Blue (1965) |
| 1967 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Action Performance | Duel at Diablo (1966) |
| 1966 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Actor - Drama | A Patch of Blue (1965) |
| 1966 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Dramatic Performance, Male | A Patch of Blue (1965) |
| 1965 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Foreign Actor | Lilies of the Field (1963) |
| 1962 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Actor - Drama | A Raisin in the Sun (1961) |
| 1962 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Foreign Actor | A Raisin in the Sun (1961) |
| 1960 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Actor - Comedy or Musical | Porgy and Bess (1959) |
| 1959 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The Defiant Ones (1958) |
| 1959 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Actor - Drama | The Defiant Ones (1958) |
| 1958 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Foreign Actor | Edge of the City (1957) |
2nd Place Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Male Star | |
| 1968 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Male Dramatic Performance | In the Heat of the Night (1967) |
| 1963 | NYFCC Award | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | Lilies of the Field (1963) |
3rd Place Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Top Male Dramatic Performance | Lilies of the Field (1963) |
| 1959 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Top Male New Personality | |
| 1959 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Top Male Dramatic Performance | The Defiant Ones (1958) |
Known for movies
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
as Virgil Tibbs
The Jackal (1997)
as FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
as John Prentice
Lilies of the Field (1963)
as Homer Smith