Sidney Poitier: A trailblazing life in his own words

NEW YORK – As a trailblazing histrion to generations of Black performers successful Hollywood, Sidney Poitier often spoke astir his larger off-screen role.

Poitier, who died Thursday astatine the property of 94, entered the movie manufacture astatine a clip erstwhile portrayals of African Americans were mostly stereotypical. But Poitier, who refused to play specified caricatures, emerged arsenic a matinee idol, an Oscar-winning histrion and 1 of the astir potent and graceful surface presences of his time, paving the mode for countless who followed him.

In interviews and successful his 2000 autobiography, “The Measure of a Man,” Poitier spoke and wrote astir the hardships, responsibilities and value of his historical ascent successful Hollywood. Here are excepts of Poitier successful his ain words done the years.

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“There was astir nary framework of notation for america but arsenic stereotypical, one-dimensional characters. ... Not lone was I not going to bash that, but I had successful caput what was expected of maine — not conscionable what different Blacks expected but what my parent and begetter expected. And what I expected of myself. ... To locomotion done my beingness arsenic my ain man.” — From a 2000 interrogation with Oprah Winfrey.

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“OK listen, you deliberation I’m truthful inconsequential? Then effort this connected for size. All those who spot unworthiness erstwhile they look astatine maine and are fixed thereby to denying maine worth - to you I say, I’m not talking astir being AS GOOD arsenic you. I hereby state myself BETTER than you." — From his memoir.

“I felt precise overmuch arsenic if I were representing 15, 18 cardinal radical with each determination I made.” — From his memoir.

“It’s a choice, a wide choice. If the cloth of the nine were different, I would shriek to precocious eden to play villains and to woody with antithetic images of Negro beingness that would beryllium much dimensional. But I’ll beryllium damned if I bash that astatine this signifier of the game.” — On playing heroic, altruistic characters, from a 1967 interview.

“I tin archer you what I deliberation the flak was about. For a agelong time, I got each the jobs — 1 representation aft different aft another. And the roles I played were precise dissimilar the mean Black idiosyncratic successful America astatine the time. The feline ever had a suit, a tie, a briefcase! He was a doctor, lawyer, constabulary detective. Middle-class. The characters weren’t reflective of the diverseness of Black life. I don’t cognize that I wouldn’t person had resentments myself, had I been an histrion connected the extracurricular looking in.” — On disapproval of his on-screen persona, from a 1995 interrogation with the Washington Post.

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“In the archetypal script, I looked astatine him with large disdain and, wrapped successful my beardown ideals, walked out,” helium wrote. “That could person happened with different histrion playing the part, but it couldn’t hap with me.” — On returning a achromatic man's slap successful 1967's “In the Heat of the Night,” from his memoir.

“I was blessed for me, but I was besides blessed for the ‘folks.' We Black radical had done it. We were capable. We hide sometimes, having to persevere against unspeakable odds, that we are susceptible of infinitely much than the civilization is yet consenting to recognition to our account." — On becoming the archetypal Black histrion to triumph an Oscar successful 1964, from his memoir.

“I was portion of an power that could beryllium called paving the way. But I was lone a portion of it. I was selected astir by past itself. Most of my vocation unfolded successful the 1960s, which was 1 of the periods successful American past with definite attitudes toward minorities that stayed successful vogue. I didn’t recognize the elements swirling around. I was a young histrion with immoderate talent, an tremendous curiosity, a definite benignant of appeal. You wrapper each that unneurotic and you person a potent mix.” — From a 1992 interrogation with the Times of London.

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“Those of america that spell earlier you glimpse backmost with restitution and permission you with a elemental trust. Be existent to yourselves and beryllium utile to the journey.” — Accepting the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award successful 1992.

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