Actor and the first black winner of the Academy Awards’ best actor statuette, Sidney Poitier, has sadly passed away at 94.
Poitier’s breakthrough role came in 1955 when he starred in ‘The Blackboard Jungle’. The actor went on to become a major success in the entertainment industry and was largely described as someone who broke down “many of Hollywood’s racial barriers.”
Amid the sad news of Sidney Poitier’s passing, we’re taking a look at his net worth and career.
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Legendary Bahamian-American actor passes away
Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier has sadly passed away at 94-years-old, reports say.
The news was announced by the Bahamian minister of foreign affairs Fred Mitchell, who then confirmed that the actor had died on Friday (January 7th 2022).
Poitier was born in 1927 in Miami, Florida to Bahamian farmers who had travelled to the US to sell tomatoes. He had both Bahamian and American citizenship.
As per the BBC, the actor was brought up on Cat Island in the Bahamas, before he went to live in Miami with his brother. He then moved to New York.
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Sidney Poitier’s net worth explored
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Sidney Poitier had an estimated net worth of $20 million at the time of his death.
Poitier first became captivated by performing arts when he moved to New York as a young man, going on to join the American Negro Theatre.
The actor made his Broadway debut in 1946 with Lysistrata, and soon made his way to the film industry in the 50s.
By 1955, Sidney found his breakout role with ‘The Blackboard Jungle’, before starring in ‘The Defiant Ones’ in 1958.
In 1964 he won the best actor Oscar for ‘Lilies in the Field’ and, according to Sky News, remained the only black man to receive the prestigious award until Denzel Washington in 2002.
Fans pay tribute to late actor
Following the news of Sidney’s passing, fans of the late star and those who knew him have taken to social media to pay tribute.
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