legendaryactor

Sidney Poitier, a Bahamian-American actor died on Friday at the age of 94.  He was a trailblazer in film and is remembered for paving the way for black actors.

Prime Minister Philip Davis said Poitier’s “light will continue to shine brightly for generations to come.”

Davis said Poitier’s “colossal achievements,” will be remembered including “his strength of character; his willingness to stand up and be counted; and the way he plotted and navigated his life’s journey.”

What to Know About Sir Sidney Poitier

1. He made history in 1964, becoming the first black man to win a best actor Oscar award for Lilies of the Field. He went on to perform in other films, winning acclaim for Mr Tibbs, Porgy and Bess, A Patch of Blue and A Raisin in the Sun.
2. He was a diplomat for the Bahamas, serving in Japan between 1997 and 2007 and the UNESCO between 2002 and 2007.
3. He was born in Miami to Bahamian tomato farmers Reginald and Evelyn Poitier in 1927 . Poitier grew up in Cat Island in the Bahamas. His family later moved to Nassau and he was sent to live with relatives in Miami at age 14.
4. Poitier admitted to lying about his age in his book, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography. He said he pleaded insanity to be discharged from the army after 9 months
5. He held dual Bahamian-US citizenship.
6. President Barak Obama gave him the Presidential Medal Of Freedom. In 2009, Obama awarded Poitier the highest civilian honor for his achievements in art and humanitarianism.
7. The Bahamas’ bridge that connects Nassau to Paradise Island was renamed in his honor in 2012.
8. He imitated radio announcers and read newspapers to improve his reading skills after a heavy Bahamian accent and limited reading skills cost him his acting job at Harlem’s American Negro Theater.
9. In recent years, Oprah Winfrey,  chose his 2000 memoir The Measure of a Man for her book club, introducing him to a new and younger generation.
10. Poitier married actress Joanna Shimkus, his second wife, in the mid-1970s. He had six daughters with his two wives and wrote three books – This Life (1980), The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (2000) and Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter (2008).

James Bond legendary actor Sir Sean Connery had strong connections to the Bahamas, having lived in the country for nearly 30-years before his death on Saturday.

His son, Jason Connery revealed that Sir Sean died “peacefully in his sleep” being “unwell for some time.”

Jason said his father was surrounded by some family members when he died overnight in Nassau in his Lyford Cay home.

Back in 2003, Sir Sean said the Bahamas became home to him. He said he enjoyed the anonymity of living in the country. “I don’t have a problem when I go out now. I walk everywhere, I don’t have a bodyguard, don’t have a minder.”

Sean was an actor for nearly 50 years, winning an Oscar in 1988 for his role in The Untouchables.  Other films include:

• Dr No (1962)
• From Russia with Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• Diamonds are Forever (1971)
• Never Say Never Again (1983)

1. Sean Connery recorded the dialogue for From Russia with Love video game in the Bahamas

In 2005, Sean Connery recorded the lines for the video game From Russia with Love, based on the likeness of the 1963 film, from his home in the Bahamas.

Sean Connery said, “As an artist, I see this as another way to explore the creative process. Video games are an extremely popular form of entertainment today, and I am looking forward to seeing how it all fits together”.

2. Sir Sean Connery supported Save the Bays

Sean voiced his support to protect the marine environment threatened by Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard’s proposed development in the Lyford Cay Community. Sean with other members of Save the Bays filed a lawsuit to force a review of the plans, claiming environmental damage to Clifton Bay which includes a beach where a James Bond film was set.

Sean said, “As a longtime resident of the Bahamas, a country whose beautiful waters and beaches have been featured in a number of my films, I am proud to be a supporting member of Save The Bays, and to urge all Bahamians, citizens, and residents, to support our effort to defend Clifton Bay along with all the natural resources of this country.”

3. Sean bunkered in the Bahamas during Hurricane Dorian

When Hurricane Dorian battered the Bahamas, Sean rode out the storm at his home in Lyford Cay with his wife Micheline.

Sean said he prepared for the storm as his ‘hurricane-experienced staff’ assisted him to make preparations for the storm, securing windows, and moving furniture inside.

The Scottish actor said in 2019, “We are both fine. We were lucky compared to many others and the damage here was not great. We had been prepared for the storm, everything was ready in advance – we weren’t taking any chances and knew what to do.”