Sidney Poitier Weeps As He Recounts How A Selfless Jewish Waiter Helped Him Learn To Read

Jan 30, 2023 by apost team

Sidney Poitier is an American actor and filmmaker who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s as a leading actor in Hollywood. Born on Feb. 20, 1927, in Miami, Florida, Poitier grew up in the Bahamas and later moved to New York City, where he pursued a career in acting. He made his film debut in the 1950 film "No Way Out" and went on to become one of the first Black actors to break the color barrier in Hollywood.

Poitier's talent, charm and magnetic personality quickly made him a sought-after actor, and he starred in a number of groundbreaking films such as "Blackboard Jungle," "The Defiant Ones" and "In the Heat of the Night," for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1967. He also received the Best Actor Oscar nomination for "Lilies of the Field" in 1963.

Poitier's contribution to film and the fight for racial equality and justice earned him numerous accolades and recognition. In 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and in 1992, he received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award. In addition to his acting career, Poitier has also been an influential filmmaker and director, creating films that explored social and political issues such as racism, discrimination and inequality.

Throughout his career, Poitier has remained humble and dedicated to his craft. He inspired new generations of actors and filmmakers with his timeless performances and his unwavering commitment to justice and equality. 

The legendary actor and filmmaker passed on Jan. 6, 2022, but his impact on Hollywood and the fight for racial equality will be felt for generations to come. His talent, charisma and dedication to his craft continue to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.

Throughout his remarkable career, Poitier had always taken pains to give credit where credit was due – he frequently cited the men and women who helped push him forward in life.

An example of this was in 2002, when, as a testament to the influence and significance of his breakthrough into Hollywood, Poitier received an honorary Oscar for his “accomplishments as an artist and as a human being.” In his speech, Poitier cited the many friends and colleagues around him who aided him in his journey.

“Here I am this evening at the end of a journey that in 1949 would have been considered almost impossible and in fact might never have been set in motion were there not an untold number of courageous, unselfish choices made by a handful of visionary American film-makers, directors, writers and producers; each with a strong sense of citizenship responsibility to the times in which they lived; each unafraid to permit their art to reflect their views and values, ethical and moral, and moreover, acknowledge them as their own,” he said.

In his own way, Poitier used the lessons he learned from his past to help those he could. One example of this is actress Sheryl Lee Ralph of “Abbott Elementary” fame. In January 2023, after winning the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards, she recalled in her speech that she found the confidence she needed from Poitier.

“Every mistake, every back break, every 'No', every rejection in an industry that when I was 19 years old was quick to tell me there was no place for me," Ralph said, then, "Sidney Poitier looked at me and said, 'You're a damn good actress.'"

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In 2013, Poitier sat down with Leslie Stahl on "CBS Sunday Morning." He talked to Stahl about one moment that stayed with him from his early life. When he worked as a dishwasher as a young man, he came into contact with someone who would leave an indelible mark on his life forever. 

“One of the waiters, a Jewish guy, elderly man – I had a newspaper and he walked over to me and he looked at me and he said, ‘what's new in the paper?’ and I looked up at this man and I said to him ‘I can't tell you what's up in the paper because I can't read very well,” Poitier recalled.

“He says, ‘let me ask you something, would you like me to read with you? I said to him, ‘yes,’ if you’d like,” Poitier said. However, he struggled to continue recounting the experience to Stahl as emotions overwhelmed him. Stopping and starting as he tried to hold back tears, Poitier said the elderly man would spend every night after work reading with him at the restaurant.

“Every night, the place is closed, everyone's gone, and he sat there with me week after week after week,” Poitier said as his voice cracked. He said it was only after that that his career began to take a turn for the better.

On the “What It Takes” podcast, Poitier recalled this would lead him to carry one regret for the rest of his life.

“One of my great regrets in life is that I went on to be a very successful actor, and one day I tried to find him, but it was too late, and I regret that I never had the opportunity to really thank him,” he explained.

What do you think of the way Sidney Poitier remembers others for helping him on his journey? Are you a fan of his work as well? Let us know, and don’t forget to pass this on to friends and family, too.