Sidney Poitier dead at 94: here are nine of his best quotes from his extraordinary life
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Sidney Poitier is recognisable as one of the most groundbreaking Hollywood actors the industry has ever seen.
During his impressive career, Sidney became the first black actor to be awarded with the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his role in Lilies of the Field in 1964.
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Hide AdHis prominence grew, with audiences celebrating the actor in roles in films such as In the Heat Of The Night, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner and To Sir, With Love.
With the announcement of his death at the age of 94, we take a look back at some of his best quotes from his remarkable career and life.
1. “If I’m remembered for having done a few good things, and if my presence here has sparked some good energies, that’s plenty.”
2. “History passes the final judgment.”
3. “I never had an occasion to question color, therefore, I only saw myself as what I was... a human being.”
4. “I have always been a learner because I knew nothing.”
5. “I was the only black person on the set. It was unusual for me to be in a circumstance in which every move I made was tantamount to representation of 18 million people.”
6. “Acting isn’t a game of "pretend." It’s an exercise in being real.”
7. “You don’t have to become something you’re not to be better than you were.”
8. “So much of life, it seems, is determined by pure randomness.”
9. "I was a pretty good actor and I believed in brotherhood. I hated racism and segregation. And I was a symbol against those things."
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