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Sheryl Lee Ralph Remembers Sidney Poitier’s Early Support: ‘I Expect Great Things from You’

Sheryl Lee Ralph remembered legendary star Sidney Poitier's support of her career ahead of receiving the Gotham Award's Sidney Poitier Icon Tribute.

“It’s a very full circle moment, because quite literally Mr. Poitier opened the door to Hollywood for me by casting me in my first film — ‘ A Piece of the Action,’” Ralph told IndieWire on the red carpet ahead of the ceremony. Poitier’s groundbreaking Hollywood career included an Oscar-win for “Lilies of the Field” in 1964, when he became the first Black man to receive the Best Actor Academy Award. He later starred in seminal classics like “In the Heat of the Night,” “To Sir, With Love,” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” He bridged into directing during the 1970s with credits including “Buck and the Preacher,” “A Warm December,” and “Stir Crazy.” Poitier died in 2022 at the age of 94.

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