milestones of artistic excellence. milestones of america s progress. on screen, and behind the camera, in films such as the defiant ones, guess who s coming to dinner, uptown saturday night, lilies of the field, for which you became the first african american to win in america academy award for best actor. poitier not only entertained, but in light and. shifting attitudes, broadening hearts to bring us closer together. the child of a movie mean tomato farmer. why da once called is driving purpose to make himself a better person. he did. and he made us all a little bit better, along the way. [applause] that is tonight s
appeared, not because i brought so much but because the time was right. reporter: but his career almost ended before it ever began. as a teenager, poitier auditioned for the negro theater but thrown out because he couldn t read, tone deaf and had a thick acre cent. reporter: he would spend months perfecting his acting skills and modifying his speaking voice. his hard work would pay off in a big way. i was right. i know i was right. reporter: in the 1950s a appeared in more than a dozen films beginning with no way out and defiant ones but the prior portrayal of a g.i. in lilies of the field earning him the
to carry the weight of being a symbol. but he bore it with dignity. in lilies of the field, playing a travelling handyman, helping build a group of nuns a new chapel. the winner is sidney poitier. he won the academy award, the first black performer ever to receive the oscar for a leading role. in the years that followed, he became hollywood s biggest star, redefining how audiences saw black characters, with films like to sir, with love. you will call me sir or mr thackeray. the young ladies will be addressed as miss, the boys by their surnames. some of what i am was reflected in those movies. it was, in a way, i was saying to an audience, this is who i am, look at me. more controversial was his role as a highly gifted, hugely successful doctor engaged to a white woman in guess who s coming to dinner.
pushed me out and slammed it. reporter: a determined poitier would spend months perfecting his acting skills and modifying his speaking voice. his hard work would pay off in a big way. i was right. i know i was right. reporter: in the 1950s he appeared in more than a dozen films beginning with no way out including an os-car winning performance in the defiant ones. however it was his portrayal in lilies of the field that broke hollywood s color barrier earning him the coveted oscar for best actor. amen reporter: poitier never overcame his tone deafness lip synching the song amen. poitier was considered a bankable star in 1967, starring in the landmark film to sir with love. those kids are devil incarnate. i tried everything. reporter: playing characters that would force audiences to
acting skills and modifiling his speaking voice. his hard work would pay off in a big way. i was right. i know i was right. reporter: in the 1950s, he appeared in that aror more than a dozen film upons beginning with no way out and an oscar nominated performance in the defiant ones. however, it was his portrayal of a former gi in the 1963 movie lilies of the field that earned him the coveted oscar for best actor. portier never overcame his tone deafness, limb-syncing the song amen in the famts lily scene. the song writer actually it the singing. portier was considered a ban bankable star in 1967 starring in a land mark film to sir with love. those kids are devils incarnates. i tried everything. reporter: playing characters that would force audiences to confront racial prejudices. they call me mr. tibbs.