Sidney Poitier Sneakers (1992)
Sidney Poitier (born February 20, 1927, Miami, Florida; died January 6, 2022, Los Angeles) starred as Donald Crease in Sneakers (1992). The role was Poitier's return to feature film acting after a decade-long absence.
Sneakers was Poitier's first acting role in a decade
Poitier had not appeared as an actor in a major feature since Hanky Panky (1982). He had spent the 1980s directing — Stir Crazy (1980), Hanky Panky (1982), Fast Forward (1985), Ghost Dad (1990) — and had publicly described himself as retired from in front of the camera. Sneakers drew him back.
"Sidney told us he hadn't read a script in years that he wanted to act in. We sent him Sneakers. He read it overnight and called the next day." — Lawrence Lasker, The Hollywood Reporter (2017)
Crease — ex-CIA, anchored to a wife and daughters — was a part written for Poitier's particular gravity.
"Poitier's authority is the spine of the team. When he says we are not doing this, we are not doing this." — Janet Maslin, The New York Times (1992)
The 1960s career was historic
Poitier's run from 1958 to 1967 — The Defiant Ones (1958, Oscar nomination), Lilies of the Field (1963, Oscar win, the first for a Black actor in a leading role), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), To Sir, with Love (1967) — made him the most commercially successful African-American actor of his era and a central figure in the on-screen civil-rights argument.
"There has never been an actor more important to American film. There may never be." — A. O. Scott, The New York Times (2022)
Selected filmography
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | The Defiant Ones | First Oscar nomination |
| 1961 | A Raisin in the Sun | Lorraine Hansberry adaptation |
| 1963 | Lilies of the Field | First Oscar win for a Black actor |
| 1965 | A Patch of Blue | |
| 1967 | In the Heat of the Night | "They call me Mr. Tibbs" |
| 1967 | To Sir, with Love | London teacher drama |
| 1967 | Guess Who's Coming to Dinner | |
| 1972 | Buck and the Preacher | Directorial debut |
| 1980 | Stir Crazy | Director (Pryor / Wilder) |
| 1982 | Hanky Panky | Last screen role before Sneakers |
| 1992 | Sneakers | Donald Crease |
| 1997 | The Jackal | FBI agent |