however, it was his portrayal of a former gi in the 1963 movie lilies of the field that broke hollywood s color barrier, earning him the coveted asoscar for best actor. poitier never overcame his tone deafness. lip-syncing the song amen in the famous lily scene. the songwriter actually did the singing. poitier was considered a bankable star in 1967, starring in the landmark film to sir with love. those kids are devils incarnate. i tried everything. reporter: playing characters that would force audiences to confront racial prejudices. they call me mr. tibbs. reporter: but he would also challenge the hollywood establishment. forcing a change in his iconic role as detective virgil tibbs in the academy award winning in the heat of a night because of a scene that would require him to