Sidney Poitier’s six-decade career as the first black man to win an Oscar has been recognized for opening the way for so many other black performers.

Following his death on January 6 at the age of 94, tributes to the idol flooded in, including from former President Barack Obama, who described Sidney as “a singular talent who epitomized dignity and grace.”

Denzel Washington, another actor, said it was a delight to work with Sidney, and a friend added, “He was a gentleman and opened doors for all of us that had been closed for years.”

Sidney Poitier went on to feature in 55 films and TV shows after landing his first main part in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle. He will be remembered for breaking down Hollywood’s racial barriers.

‘No man succeeds without a good lady behind him,’ as the adage goes, and this was the case for the Bahamian-American actor, who married Canadian actress Joanna Shimkus in 1976.

He’d previously been married, had four children, and had an affair when he met Shimkus.

Poitier was the youngest of seven children, and he spent his first 10 years of life on Cat Island, Bahamas, where his father ran a farm. The family would fly to Miami to market things, which is where Poitier was born three months prematurely, granting him U.S. citizenship.

He came to the Bahamas’ capital, Nassau, when he was 15 and participated in World War II as a youngster after lying about his age.

He worked as a dishwasher after leaving the army until an audition got him a job with the American Negro Theatre in Harlem, New York. It was the aspiring actor’s second audition after being informed he “could hardly read” and couldn’t be an actor with his accent after his first audition at the age of 18.

Undaunted by the harsh rejection, he went away and bought himself a radio to mimic the accents he heard, read every newspaper and magazine he could get his hands on, and enlisted the assistance of an elderly Jewish waiter at the restaurant where he worked as a dishwasher to help him read and expand his vocabulary.

He returned to the production firm a year and a half later for another audition, which landed him a spot on the show and a career that would earn him several honors.

After appearing on our screens for almost a decade, he became the first black actor to win an Oscar for the film “Lilies of the Field.” But it was in “The Lost Man” that he met his future wife, Joanna Shimkus. The film came out four years after Poitier and his first wife, Juanita Hardy, split.

It was also the year after the termination of his nine-year relationship with actress Diahann Carroll.

Sidney’s first marriage lasted 15 years with Juanita Hardy. They were married in 1950 and divorced in 1965. His marriage to Joanna Shimkus, on the other hand, lasted the test of time, and they had two children.

“I guess we were just destined to be together,” Joanna told People in 1998.

Between 1972 and 2010, Shimkus took a vacation from performing to raise their daughters, Anika and Sidney, who have both followed in their parents’ footsteps.

Shimkus was an executive producer on “Black Irish,” which Anika directed. Meanwhile, Sidney has acted in films such as “Veronica Mars” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof.”

In an interview with Closer, Poitier explained how they’ve made it work, saying, “There is one key ingredient my wife has helped me to recognize over the years, and that is the importance of articulating love for one another on a daily basis.”

“My wife and children mean the most to me,” Sidney told People in 2016, adding, “We’ve been together for 49 years, and I’m a good cook.” Every night, I cook. I take excellent care of him.”

Despite his numerous accomplishments in life, including an honorary Academy Award for his efforts in the entertainment business, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the United States, and a knighthood from the Queen, he never lost sight of the significance of family.

The celebrated actor would frequently spend time with his wife, ex-wife, six kids, eight granddaughters, and three great-grandchildren.

Many examples of couples managing interracial relationships can be found throughout history.

However, according to Joanna, it was not an issue for her and her husband.

“I grew up in Canada, and I never had any prejudices — unlike in America.” I just didn’t have those sentiments. In fact, we’ve never had an issue. It’s possible that we live a pretty tranquil existence. I’m not sure if it’s just the way things are. But I never thought of him as a black man. I mean, I know he’s black, but I simply saw him as a man, and he was a great guy. “A wonderful person,” she says in the documentary Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light.

Sidney Poitier, rest in peace. You will be remembered in the hearts of people all around the world for your skill, grace, and perseverance in the face of hardship.