(ANSA) - WASHINGTON, 07 JAN - Sidney Poitier, a Hollywood legend who paved the way for many African American actors, died at the age of 94. Actor, director but also diplomat: the legendary protagonist of "Guess who's coming to dinner" with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy was born by mistake in Miami, but the family came from the Bahamas and Poitiers had grown up on the islands. It was the foreign minister of that country, Fred Mitchell, who confirmed the death.
In addition to breaking the race barrier in the dream industry, Poitier was also from 1997 to 2007 the Bahamas ambassador to Japan.
For "I Gigli del Campo" in 1963 he had won an Oscar as best actor, the first black man to be awarded the coveted tattoo in that category, as well as being nominated twice for the awards for best cinema.
Upon Kirk Douglas's death in 2020, he remained among the few survivors of Hollywood's golden age and the oldest surviving Academy Award winner.
Among his most famous films "The School of Violence" and "The Hot Night of Inspector Tibbs".
(HANDLE).