Sidney Poitier voted honorary Academy Award®

Jan 23, 2002 by Ian Evans

Sidney Poitier will receive an honorary Academy Award® during the March ceremony.

The Academy will be giving Poitier the special Oscar® “for his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen, and for representing the motion picture industry with dignity, style and intelligence throughout the world.”

Poitier has appeared in over 40 films since 1949, including such classics as Blackboard Jungle, To Sir, with Love, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, A Raisin in the Sun and In the Heat of the Night.

So many governors made comments seconding Poitier’s nomination that it took Actors Branch Governor Tom Hanks’ remark – “When I was a young actor, I worked as a bellboy. I carried Mr. Poitier’s bags once, and he tipped me five bucks!” – to finally bring the proposal to a vote.

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