Legendary Actor and Artist Sidney Poitier accepts the 20th AFI Life Achievement Award (1992). CONNECT WITH AFI: / americanfilminstitute / americanfilm AFI.com/members AFI FACEBOOK APP: / afiytapp
When he spoke, Sidney Poitier radiated regalness, class, dignity, honor, respect, and love of family. They all brought a tear to the eye at times. Now, the bright lights he inspired in Hollywood and beyond, must continue to shine on the road to inspiration for future generations of actors and filmmakers. That is, those of color who need it more, as well as the general creative community as a whole. Thank you, Sir, for laying that foundation. May you Rest in Peace, Power, and Talent.
Sidney Poitier is regal in his form throughout his life and it radiates all that is good and respectful of a man of his generation and inspired blacks to continue to promote themselves and to succeed as well. What an incredible man and now due to his passing I wish for him rest in peace in God's glory of a decent human being unique and amazing of a humanitarian.
The world is a better place and humanity has greatly benefitted from the characters and choices that Sir Sidney Poitier and Mr Harry Belafonte were gracious enough share with us. Thank you Father God for blessing us with proof that all things are possible to them that believe. Where there is life there is hope. Amen and Amen!!
He is beautiful, dignified, and such a talent. I know he’s now passed but this man is still very present especially as we see what his legacy has given us. All I can say is to Sir, with love, Rest In Peace.
This man often makes me cry = and I think it's because he's such an incredibly beautiful human being. Sidney Poitier isn't merely a great performer but, rather, - he's an experience!
As a young woman he provided challenges which I learned from his movies to be a better human being and to survive in this world. For this and my thanks - may you rest in peace Sir Sidney Poitier.
In a room filled with the best of us, he shined as the best among them. When the camera stopped on Denzel Washington, sitting there as regal as a king, I found myself gasping in reverence. And Morgan Freeman, and James Earl Jones, and so many others in that room, we are left in awe of what they did for all of us by who they portrayed on screen and off. God Bless them.
What a totally classy gentleman. There aren't many "celebrities" I'd care to meet or to speak with but he definitely is one!! This man by his actions, the way he lives his life, is an example to us all!!
When he spoke, everyone was almost perfectly still, as if they feared missing a single word if they moved. Everyone hung on to his every syllable, nobody dared to even breathe too hard, for fear of ruining the moment. If you want to seee what REAL class looks like, here he is: Mr. Sidney Poitier, a living legend.
Absolutely gutted. One of the Greatest of All Time. A Dignified Legend who paved the way for so many. I've loved his work and he will be an Inspiration for Life. Rest in Peace Sidney Sir. #SidneyPoitier
This man is a true inspiration a golden touch to my heart tears to my eyes in a most wonderful way and as soon if I can I'm going to put his two weeks on my reading with which I was not aware that he wrote until recently the true Measure of a Man is a tile and another one I think it's called listen to your life I will find out I found it out on the Oprah Winfrey Show when she made a attribute to Sydney Poitier at chasen's restaurant in Beverly Hills. In one of her shows
Sidney Poitier to me was a "bright light" for the younger generations that admired the way he acted but also how he represented his race with dignity and grace. I never forgot what he brought to me "a way to survive" by his acting and his manners. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your good advice from acting in "To Sir With Love."
Such an icon of the screen who really is so humble yet so true to his fellow human beings- he is a credit to the black race but most of all to the human race.Greatness has no colour.
Why mention it! 'He is a credit to his race", it has always been annoying to hear that statement. It always sounded like "You look good for your age'! 'A popular saying of yester year 'it is a throw back from the '60'
Every young actor/actress should be required to watch this to learn class and humility, and life lessons. A special thank you to the Jewish cook who taught a young dishwasher to read, what the world may have lost without your generosity.
Omg You made me cry..yes thanks to the Jewish guy whom put time ,dedication and persistence, whom saw no color, but a human who wanted to learn. .what a beautiful speech he gave!
RIP Sidney Poitier, may your strength, dignity and humbleness be a continuing shining beacon to all of us to never give up, thank you for your incredible movies!
It shows he has a courageous attitude in order for him to be selective of the movies that he did decide do, because it was a time of nauseating in your face racism, yet he still turn down any roles which he considered stereo typical, this shows he has great confidence in his acting ability which marks him up as one of the world greatest actors. ......Nice one Sidney
His speech is a complete encyclopedia covering from his parents to childhood to actor to father to grand father.Very inspiring full of beautiful words laced togethera real leader to fallow and a mood changing speeches full of hope and love and gratitude .LET US ALL PRAY TO GOD for his good heealth and giving a legend to this too good a human being.
I know it was a film... but this gentleman's performance and movie had such an impact on me... I became a teacher in later life. Bless you, to Sir with love.
"to my six children, three of whom have jobs"....LOL...love that one. What an eloquent speech. One of my favourite actors out of all of them and there are MANY MANY great actors out there, black and white...BRAVO!
I am a white male of 46 years to date. I have probably by accident saw my first of many Sidney Poitier films when a young boy who did not understand the civil rights struggle of the sixties, but lived through some of it, and intergration after it. However through Sidney I believed that a black man can have morals, goodness and above all dignity. How else could a white bread boy of the time know? That is part Sidney`s legacy to me.
This man can be aptly called GREAT. His speech radiates dignity, a deep sense of history and self-worth. Sidney Poitier is a winner if there ever was a winner in Hollywood. God bless him and what he signifies.
I have been listening to this for years and fail to get good words to comment on, today Ricardo Bigi, you've said it all and well. Allow me to echo you, This man is GREAT. Thank you.
Every time I get to see or hear him speak, my heart begins to swell at his entry and my eyes well with the admiration he receives without commanding. Then he speaks. Grace, humility, natural stewardship. The energy of his presence heightens my intention of being. He is the tide that lifts all boats.
sheltondk43 ....wholeheartedly...but you should know that you have a gift yourself...your expression and choice of words are that of admiration itself...write a book, write a script...you got it too!
My favorite moment is when he said "welcome young bloods" and the camera went straight to Denzel who had that look of determination on his face. I felt that in my soul.
And he was already a Prince with an Oscar on his mantle. But he wasn't born to support. He was born to lead. He was Sidney's only successor. Denzel is a King.
Sidney Poitier shared a love for the arts with the many, with a socially conscious art of the few. Some years back, yours truly was into literary writing. At the time, the stream of consciousness was a shaping influence. The following piece is one of the memorable souvenirs of that earlier youth: “Beside a cloud that flitted past me in a while of brief time’s spell - a window framed in passing memory. Over a tranquil coast that’d waited patiently beside the sea to levitate its face to the moving wind, a fleeting body of water, the sea’s blinking mirror, shadowed and yet real, a drizzle blown from the seaside.” In memoriam of Sidney James Poitier, February 20, 1927 - January 7, 2022
A truly wonderful actor, activist, and Man, I had a massive crush on Him when I saw To Sir With Love back in the 60s I was 11 and thought he was the most beautiful and powerful man ever! I guess I was right! 🙏🌹👏❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I couldn't express it better than TheJazzlady and other people on this page. Sidney Poitier is not only a great actor, but he is above all a rare human being, in the noblest sense of the word. Just look at his face when he speaks so eloquently and smiles. I love you too, Mr. Poitier. God bless you.
💞 WHAT A THOROUGHLY WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING, IS SIDNEY POITIER! THEY DON'T MAKE MEN LIKE HIM ANYMORE... HAVEN'T FOR A LONG TIME. 💞 ALL MY RESPECT, SIR... WITH... WELL, YOU KNOW!
Sir Sidney Poitier, AN EXTRAORDINARY example of what CLASS, ELEGANCE, CONFIDENCE, CHARISMA, POISE, HUMILITY & SELF LOVE, TRULY IS!!! 💕💟👍🏼💓💖 #SidneyPoitier
I saw him in To Sir With Love and read the book when I was in 7th grade English. I remember it had a really big impact on me. He was one of the first male adult actors that really inspired me. I saw Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner too. Both excellent films...I have seen him doing minor roles in other stuff too but those two are my favorites. I had such a crush on my 7th grade English teacher. I probably would have had a crush on Sir too...
You sir,POITIER walked through the door of greatness and your gift to other actors, especially of color is you having walked in as for me I get to be an actor because you did it .... may your legend grow through the ages.You are my teacher.............
With dignity and grace, his entire speech was about expressing gratitude to others who have brought him to this place, and encouragement to others who strive to follow his path. He is not only one of the finest actors of the day, but a leader with the best traits of humanity.
cmriley2009 Lilies of the Field is a drama, it’s about a traveling handyman going through the desert and ends up finding these poor German nuns who have a leaky farmhouse, he fixes it for them but they won’t pay him for his work. They have no money, and he sees how they struggle to survive, so he decides to stay and help build a church for them and teach them to sing church choirs and lift their spirits up. The movie ends with him having finished building the church and parting ways with them with a huge amount of respect that both him and the nuns have for each other.
I decided to watch this again and pay my respects to a great man. My favorite movie by him was Guess Who is Coming to Dinner. The first time I watched this tribute, I was touched and second time watching it, equally touched. I always thought of him as AC - All Class. I believe he said it best "Be true to yourself and useful to the journey." RIP Mr. Poitier!
Regal eloquent dignified a class act gentleman a superb actor truly a wonderful human kind and gentle!! I shall miss you 😢 Sir Sidney Poitier RIP in Heavenly Grace 🙏🥲To you Sir with Love 💔
This man was and is great. Sad to see here all these movie legends who are not longer with us, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Roger Moore, Gregory Peck...
Sidney Poitier, perhaps more than any contemporary leading film actor, is an extraordinarily articulate and moving public speaker. He remembers to thank everyone responsible for his career: Stanley Kramer, the director of The Defiant Ones and Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, Ralph Nelson, director of Lillies Of The Field, his Oscar performance, Norman Jewison, director of In The Heat Of The Night, and Rod Steiger and Richard Widmark, who befriended him and were memorable co-stars.
OMG. He’s amazing guy. Can’t tell how happy I was when I rewatch this video because I’m in love with this guy for so long and I must say he deserves much more than ❤️that .
" Be true to yourselves, be useful to the journey" such a powerful quote who will resonate inward of everyone who endows a bit of a sens, feeling and empathy. Sidney Poitier went through hardship and challenge beyond .measure. this prize seems be a reward to those challenging and blooming moment he has been endured. Such a colossus!
Sidney Poitier is such an elegant and eloquent human being this man has so much class and Charisma it's not even funny he's one of my favorite all-time actors. The Lilies of the Field Guess Who's Coming to Dinner In the Heat of the Night etcetera. What else can you say about this man he's close to 90 now if not 90
