I do try and avoid hyperbole or statements that can be considered too grandiose – after all, only foolish people rattle off absolutes as if they were fact. However, here is something that I have believed for as long as I have loved film: there has never been a better actor than Sir Sidney Poitier. It is undeniable that when he appeared on screen, the whole world began to blur, our attention fixated on this incredible individual, who mastered his craft in a way that absolutely no one else seemed able to do. He was one of our last remaining icons from the Golden Age of Hollywood, someone who emerged as a movie star at a time when his existence as a black man in the United States as a whole was being questioned, both socially and legally. Yet, despite the challenges that stood before him, both as a man and an artist, Poitier pushed on, venturing into the unknown, becoming one of the first black men to become a bona fide star, which is even more impressive considering he actively avoided stereotypical roles, choosing to only take on complex characters that did not exist to serve a broader agenda, but rather exist on their own terms, which is precisely why Poitier managed to produce numerous iconic characters over the span of his career, often being responsible for their transition from mere stereotype to fully-formed, complex individuals who gave representation to an entire group of people that had previously never been afforded the chance to have someone like them rise to the impossible heights that Poitier somehow did without any difficulty. The world has truly lost a giant.

He was an actor composed of nothing but contradictions, in the best way possible – he was imposing but warm, intensely complex but unquestionably approachable – regardless of the role, Sidney Poitier would capture our attention and hold it for the entire duration. There are few actors whose charm aged as well as Poitier’s did – in his younger years, he was the energetic, dynamic rapscallion with a tinge of world-weariness, while his more later years saw him maturing into an elder statesman of the industry, where his wisdom and experience made him an invaluable source of comfort – and yet, he never once lost that spark of mischief that glimmered so brightly in his eyes. It is difficult to find a performance where Poitier isn’t challenging every known convention in his own way – his very presence is one that should indicate that we are in good hands, since he was not someone known to give anything other than the most effort, regardless of the role. This allowed him to be as magnificent in the hard-hitting social dramas that started his career as he was in the more mindlessly fun genre films he was able to make once he had established himself as someone who audiences would flock to see, regardless of the specific manner in which he was channelling his effervescent charms. When that foreboding presence and unmistakable timbre arrived on screen, we have no choice but to sit in awe at what we’re seeing, since no one could do what Poitier did, which is only made more impressive by the amount he actually did throughout his career. Leaping between genres and conventions with seemingly flawless ease, he turned in performances that remain as impressive today as they did when they first premiered.

Calling him a revolutionary is not only entirely true – it’s an understatement. He did not break records, he created them in the first place. Whether it was his ascension to the top of an industry that had previously treated its non-white community as marginal, or the countless accolades and awards he received over the course of his career, Poitier established the gold standard for what acting can be, and what actors should aspire to achieve. His entire career was one masterful achievement after another – and yet, he remained quintessentially himself, working on his own terms and refusing to be typecast by an industry that started out not quite knowing what to do with him. He used this confusion to his advantage by relentlessly making sure that whatever roles he played reflected his own morals and values, and in many cases, he himself became the author of these characters, taking one-dimensional roles and using his own unique perspective to fashion them into complex individuals. It’s difficult to imagine any other actor occupying these incredible films, since the last impression he left with each one of them lingers on. It’s unlikely that there is a film in existence that featured Poitier where he wasn’t one of the best parts of it – his spirited dedication to each and every one of his roles has not gone unnoticed, since he continues to be celebrated as one of the most important actors to ever work in the medium, someone who has amassed an enormous army of devoted fans, all of which have found joy and comfort in any of the wonderful films he made throughout his long career, which is far more impressive when we consider how prolific he was at his peak.

Whether it is his booming voice announcing his demand for respect with the iconic line “They call me Mister Tibbs”, or the honey-sweet resonance of his powerful rendition of the gospel standard “Amen” in front of a group of nuns, Poitier was a true artist. His work speaks for itself – half a century of dedicated efforts on both sides of the camera made him someone whose artistic contributions will never be forgotten. Reducing a career like Poitier’s into a single moment is impossible – not many actors can attest to having produced work of such impeccable quality at such a steady pace, and never come across as relying on past successes. Poitier would be the last person to rest on his laurels, and at his peak would put in a ferocious amount of work to ensure that everything he was doing was honouring not only his own reputation, but the millions of people who did not have his opportunities, being a guiding light for the marginalized communities in an industry as vicious as showbusiness, which can destroy dreams as fast as they create them. Poitier proved that anyone can ascend to the highest level of stardom, granted they are given the opportunities – and he never once took what was given to him for granted, putting in work that he could be genuinely proud of. As a result, there is s a timeless quality to his work that has persisted in one way or another for over seventy years, where his consistent output hints towards a very deep sense of passion, not for the acclaim or praise he received, but rather the gift of being able to tell stories and live the lives of people who weren’t normally represented on screen as often back then as they are today. Poitier didn’t only open the doors, he single-handedly dismantled them entirely, allowing for generations of new voices to rise to the top and have the same moment in the sun that he was fortunate to be given.

In the end, no words can ever fully do justice to the impact Poitier had, not only on the film industry, but on the world as a whole – words like “pioneer” and “legend” are appropriate, but still feel underwhelming in describing the impact he made. His success was a rebellion to those who held bigoted views, and his fervent activism only made his deep compassion and humanity for his fellow man all the more evident. He was someone who showed very little hesitance in putting in the work when it was necessary, and was always willing to live up to the expectations he had for the rest of the world. He remains as beloved by the filmmaking community as he is by the legions of adoring fans, many of whom have found solace in the knowledge that even when the industry was at its most divided in terms of something as simple and fundamental as civil rights, someone like Poitier was putting in the work to bring change, one day at a time. The world has truly lost a titan with his passing, yet it still feels like this loss is bittersweet, since it comes at the end of a long and illustrious life that saw Poitier conquer the industry, establishing himself as one of the most striking and intelligent artists of any generation. Words cannot describe the impact he has had, both in terms of changing how art was made, as well as the culture of progression he inspired through his activism, both on camera and off. He was an icon and an institution, and he will never be forgotten, since his films paint a vivid portrait of this incredible individual and his indelible contributions to the global culture. It doesn’t feel like we’re bidding farewell to a stoic, distant figure, but rather saying goodbye to a friend, someone whose work has been a guiding light for countless people – and while he may be gone, his legacy remains intact, and his work will hopefully continue to be appreciated and adored by future generations, all of whom I hope will feel the same pride in experiencing his work as I did having shared my time with him, even if it was through the impenetrable membrane of the cinema screen, which Poitier somehow managed to still pierce with his raw talent, incredible charm and deep, unflinching humanity each and every time he appeared on it.