How Sidney Poitier went from sleeping in toilets to winning Oscars

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) will present AAFCA Salutes Broadway on Monday, October 17th at the Lamb’s Club in the heart of New York’s theater district.

William Earl “Death of a Salesman” actor Wendell Pierce, “The Piano Lesson” director LaTanya Richardson Jackson and “Till” star John Douglas Thompson are among the honorees set for the inaugural Salute to Broadway presented by the African American Film Critics Association. The event is set for Oct. 17 at The Lambs Club in the heart of Midtown’s theater district. “It’s no secret that some of our greatest actors have come from the stage or have tested their chops on it,” said Gil Robertson, co-founder of AAFCA. “Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis are just a handful of our beloved icons for which this was true, with Tony winners Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Audra McDonald, Adrienne Warren and Myles Frost among those continuing that legacy. As a reliable pipeline for outstanding Black talent in front of the camera as well as behind it, Hollywood has benefited greatly from this esteemed training ground and AAFCA Salutes Broadway celebrates that rich heritage.”

BreAnna Bell Hollywood veterans Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Peter Murrieta are optimistic that “so much is possible” in the future as Hollywood and the entertainment industry at large expands by making room for more diverse stories and perspectives across the board. Murrieta and Boone Isaacs spoke Thursday at an event to herald the recent launch of Arizona State University’s Sidney Poitier New American Film School, a program that launched earlier this year in downtown Los Angeles in the famed former Los Angeles Herald Examiner building at Broadway and 11th streets. Boone Isaacs is founding director of the Poitier school while Murrieta serves as deputy director and professor of practice, The two joined several other faculty members to discuss how Hollywood can grow its business and audience base by making strides on inclusion and representation during a panel on the future of film education.

David O Russell’s oeuvre, it’s that great film-making chops (Three Kings!) meet wildly divergent outcomes (often within a single film); Russell will fall out with some of his cast, and said cast will be star-filled. His latest is Amsterdam, a period crime romp led by Margot Robbie, Christian Bale and John David Washington, abetted by Robert De Niro, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Rami Malek, Mike Myers, Andrea Riseborough, Zoe Saldaña, Michael Shannon and Taylor Swift. Results may vary.

Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan will star in the first major New York revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window this February at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, BAM announced today.

The Associated Press on Tuesday. Fuller’s play about the racially motivated murder of a Black sergeant on an Army post in Louisiana during World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1982.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Academy Award nominees Andrea Berloff and John Gatins have formed a creative partnership with Netflix to write feature films for the streaming service. “From gripping dramas based on true stories to spectacle action adventure and comedies, Andrea Berloff and John Gatins have created stories that deeply connect with audiences across genres,” Kira Goldberg and Ori Marmur, Vice Presidents of Netflix Studio Film, said in a joint statement. “We’re thrilled to start this creative partnership with these two acclaimed and versatile writing talents.” Berloff is best known for co-writing the script to “Straight Outta Compton,” the hit film about NWA’s rise and dissolution. She earned an Academy Award nomination for her work. Her other credits include “World Trade Center,” a drama about 9/11 that was directed by Oliver Stone,” and “Blood Father,” a crime thriller that was directed by Jean-Francois Richet. For Netflix, she co-wrote the soon-to-be-released “The Mother,” which will star Jennifer Lopez.

“Dancing With the Stars” Season 20 ended in pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy’s first mirrorball win – with celebrity partner Rumer Willis – and after hearing judge Carrie Ann Inaba suggest on Monday night she saw a similar chemistry in how he’s working with “Bachelorette” Gabby Windey, the ballroom star couldn’t help but reflect on the comparison.“That’s a huge compliment,” Chmerkovskiy told reporters over Zoom. “I think Rumer is an amazing artist. She had the right attitude when she entered the competition.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic A pioneering movie star intensely aware of his place in film history, Sidney Poitier published no fewer than three autobiographies during his life, generously sharing what he’d lived and learned with those who’d appreciated his work in films such as “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” But words can only reach so far in an era dominated by the moving image, and as such, we’re fortunate that Poitier was open to repeating himself one last time for “Sidney” — director Reginald Hudlin’s definitive portrait for Apple TV+ — before his death this year at the age of 94. Few movie stars have been more inspirational than Poitier, who was more than just a star, but also a symbol to so many — be they aspiring Black performers or the public at large, who saw their own views on civil rights embodied in the characters he played. But what of those who were born too late to fully appreciate what this remarkable actor meant to audiences deprived of role models? Produced by Oprah Winfrey (who appears frequently throughout) with the participation of Poitier and his family, “Sidney” puts that legacy in context, retracing a career that changed the way that Hollywood — and the world — saw the Black experience.

“Abbott Elementary’ star Sheryl Lee Ralph reflected on having Sidney Poitier as a director for her film debut “A Piece of the Action” at the premiere Wednesday of the documentary film “Sidney.”“When I met him, he did not let me down,” Sheryl Lee Ralph told TheWrap at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures premiere, noting that at the time she was a “newbie” to the industry. “A lot of people you meet, they let you down.

Oprah Winfrey and Sidney Poitier: two icons, one powerful story.

Cher is making a rare red carpet appearance!

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