Sidney Poitier was an actor, director, activist and ambassador. He was best known for his groundbreaking and trailblazing work in the 1950s and 1960s. His breakthrough performances in film include The Defiant Ones (1958), Porgy and Bess (1959), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Paris Blues (1961), Lilies of the Field (1963), A Patch of Blue (1965), To Sir, with Love, In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (all 1967).
Filmography
Actor
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1947 |
Sepia Cinderella |
Extra |
Uncredited |
| 1949 |
From Whence Cometh My Help |
Himself |
Documentary |
| 1950 |
No Way Out |
Dr. Luther Brooks |
|
| 1951 |
Cry, the Beloved Country |
Reverend Msimangu |
|
| 1952 |
Red Ball Express |
Cpl. Andrew Robertson |
|
| 1954 |
Go Man Go |
Inman Jackson |
|
| 1955 |
Blackboard Jungle |
Gregory W. Miller |
|
| 1956 |
Good-bye, My Lady |
Gates Watson |
|
| 1957 |
Edge of the City |
Tommy Tyler |
|
| 1957 |
Something of Value |
Kimani Wa Karanja |
|
| 1957 |
Band of Angels |
Rau-Ru Ponce de Leon |
|
| 1957 |
Mark of the Hawk, TheThe Mark of the Hawk |
Obam |
|
| 1958 |
Virgin Island |
Marcus |
|
| 1958 |
Defiant Ones, TheThe Defiant Ones |
Noah Cullen |
|
| 1959 |
Porgy and Bess |
Porgy |
|
| 1960 |
All the Young Men |
Sgt. Eddie Towler |
|
| 1961 |
Raisin in the Sun, AA Raisin in the Sun |
Walter Lee Younger |
|
| 1961 |
Paris Blues |
Eddie Cook |
|
| 1962 |
Pressure Point |
Doctor (Chief Psychiatrist) |
|
| 1963 |
Long Ships, TheThe Long Ships |
Aly Mansuh |
|
| 1963 |
Lilies of the Field |
Homer Smith |
|
| 1965 |
Bedford Incident, TheThe Bedford Incident |
Ben Munceford |
|
| 1965 |
Greatest Story Ever Told, TheThe Greatest Story Ever Told |
Simon of Cyrene |
|
| 1965 |
Patch of Blue, AA Patch of Blue |
Gordon Ralfe |
|
| 1965 |
Slender Thread, TheThe Slender Thread |
Alan Newell |
|
| 1966 |
Duel at Diablo |
Toller (contract horse dealer) |
|
| 1967 |
To Sir, with Love |
Mark Thackeray |
|
| 1967 |
In the Heat of the Night |
Det. Virgil Tibbs |
|
| 1967 |
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner |
Dr. John Wade Prentice |
|
| 1968 |
For Love of Ivy |
Jack Parks |
|
| 1969 |
Lost Man, TheThe Lost Man |
Jason Higgs |
|
| 1970 |
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis |
Narrator |
Documentary |
| 1970 |
They Call Me Mister Tibbs! |
Lt. Virgil Tibbs |
|
| 1971 |
Brother John |
John Kane |
|
| 1971 |
Organization, TheThe Organization |
Lt. Virgil Tibbs |
|
| 1972 |
Buck and the Preacher |
Buck |
also director |
| 1973 |
Warm December, AA Warm December |
Matt Younger |
also director |
| 1974 |
Uptown Saturday Night |
Steve Jackson |
also director |
| 1975 |
Wilby Conspiracy, TheThe Wilby Conspiracy |
Shack Twala |
|
| 1975 |
Let's Do it Again |
Clyde Williams |
also director |
| 1977 |
Piece of the Action, AA Piece of the Action |
Manny Durrell |
also director |
| 1979 |
Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist |
Narrator |
Short subject |
| 1988 |
Shoot to Kill |
Warren Stantin |
|
| 1988 |
Little Nikita |
Roy Parmenter |
|
| 1991 |
Separate but Equal |
Thurgood Marshall |
|
| 1992 |
Sneakers |
Donald Crease |
|
| 1994 |
Century of Cinema, AA Century of Cinema |
Himself |
Documentary |
| 1996 |
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick |
Himself |
Documentary |
| 1997 |
Jackal, TheThe Jackal |
FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston |
|
| 2001 |
Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey |
Narrator |
Documentary |
| 2004 |
Tell Them Who You Are |
Himself |
Documentary |
| 2008 |
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project |
Himself |
Documentary |
Director
| Year |
Title |
| 1972 |
Buck and the Preacher |
| 1973 |
Warm December, AA Warm December |
| 1974 |
Uptown Saturday Night |
| 1975 |
Let's Do it Again |
| 1977 |
Piece of the Action, AA Piece of the Action |
| 1980 |
Stir Crazy |
| 1982 |
Hanky Panky |
| 1985 |
Fast Forward |
| 1990 |
Ghost Dad |
Television
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1952 |
CBS Television Workshop |
Performer |
Episode: Careless Love |
| 1952 |
Omnibus |
Performer |
Episode: The Trial of Anne Boleyn |
| 1962 |
The Jack Paar Tonight Show |
Himself |
1 episode |
| 1969 |
The Mike Douglas Show |
Himself |
1 episode |
| 1972 |
The Dick Cavett Show |
Himself |
1 episode |
| 1972 |
The New Bill Cosby Show |
Himself |
1 episode |
| 1975 |
The Merv Griffin Show |
Himself |
1 episode |
| 1979 |
The Mike Douglas Show |
Himself |
1 episode |
| 1991 |
Separate but Equal |
Thurgood Marshall |
Television movie |
| 1995 |
Children of the Dust |
Gypsy Smith |
2 episodes |
| 1996 |
To Sir, with Love II |
Mark Thackeray |
Television movie |
| 1997 |
Mandela and de Klerk |
Nelson Mandela |
Television movie |
| 1998 |
David and Lisa |
Dr. Jack Miller |
Television movie |
| 1999 |
Simple Life of Noah Dearborn, TheThe Simple Life of Noah Dearborn |
Noah Dearborn |
Television movie |
| 1999 |
Free of Eden |
Will Cleamons |
Television movie |
| 2000-07 |
The Oprah Winfrey Show |
Himself |
5 episodes |
| 2001 |
Last Brickmaker in America, TheThe Last Brickmaker in America |
Henry Cobb |
Television movie |
| 2008 |
Larry King Live |
Himself |
1 episode |
