starred in "to sir with love," "in the heat of the night," in "guess who is coming to dinner" with spencer traciend katherine hepburn. >> doc -- doc -- dr. apprentice, i am so pleased to meet you. >> i'm please pld to meet you. >> reporter: but that year, he began to face criticism from some in the african-american community who labeled him ung uncle tom for the purity of his rules. >> it didn't hurt you? >> for what? i just simply say i live by certain code. i have to have a certain amount of decency in my behavioral pattern. i have to have that. >> that's right. >> reporter: in the 1970s, poitier turned to directing and surprisingly, the actor who so often personified elegance, grace, and earnestness directed comedies with slapstick. in the 1980s, he turned to writing books. producing three auto biographies. and when we spoke in 2013, sidney poitier -- then 86 years old -- had just written a novel. >> i was not intending to make an impression. i was finding release for myself, within myself. i was looking for who i am at this point in my life. >> reporter: did you find out? >> somewhat, yeah. >

i loved guess who�*s coming to dinner with the spencer tracy and katharine hepburn films of the filmssms. i did love that film. in the heat of the night was fantastic. no way out was his big wine. it�*s always lovely when somebody like this does die that we get reminded of how wonderful they were. we get all these films coming back and we can really celebrate them and applaud them again and enjoy their work again. hopefully, that�*s with the commissioners will be doing right now. the commissioners will be doing riaht now. ., .,, . the commissioners will be doing riaht now. ., . �* the commissioners will be doing riahtnow. ., �* . ., , right now. fantastic. i've certainly not m right now. fantastic. i've certainly got my viewing — right now. fantastic. i've certainly got my viewing lined _ right now. fantastic. i've certainly got my viewing lined up _ right now. fantastic. i've certainly got my viewing lined up for - right now. fantastic. i've certainly got my viewing lined up for me i right now. fantastic. i've certainly. got my viewing lined up for me this weekend. we had a brief hia

that same year he would star in the water shed film "guess who's coming to dinner," alongside spencer tracynly depicted a successful interracial relationship, it also foreshadowed future progress in america. >> have you given any thought to the problems your children are going to have? >> yes. and they'll have some. and we'll have the children, otherwise i don't know what you would call it, about the you couldn't call it a marriage. >> is that the way joy feels? >> she feels every single one of our children will be president of the united states. and they'll all have colorful administrations. >> reporter: it is only fitting in 2009, sidney poitier would be presented with the medal of freedom by president barack obama. >> he once called his driving purpose to make himself a better person. he did. and he made us all a little bit better along the way. >> very sad indeed. hollywood indeed all of us, the world, is mourning a true trailblazer, sidney poitier was 94 years old. our deepest, deepest condolences to his family and to his friends. may he rest in peace. and may his memory be a blessing.

that same year, he would star in the wa watershed film guess who is coming to dinner alongside spencer tracie depicted a successful interracial relationship, it also foreshadowed future progress in america. >> have you given any thought to the problems your children are going to have? >> yes. and they'll have some. and we'll have the children. oerds otherwise, i don't know what you would call it but you couldn't call it a marriage. >> is that the way joey feels? >> she feels every single one of our children would be president of the united states and they will all have colorful administrations. >> reporter: it's only fitting that, in 2009, sydney portier would be presented with the medal of freedom by president barack obama. >> portier once called his driving purpose to make himself a better person. he did and he made us all a little bit better along the way. >> sydney portier was 94 years old. may he reacollect in peace and may his memory be a blessing. "erin burnett outfront" start right now. >>> out front next. the deadlock over re-opening schools. chick mayor and a top union at a stalemat

reporter: that same way he would star in the watershed film "guess who is coming to dinner" alongside spencer tracyrracial relationship. it also foreshadowed future progress in america. >> have you given any thought to the problems your children are going to have? >> yes, and they will have some, and we'll have the children. otherwise i don't know what you would call it but you couldn't call it a marriage. >> is that the way the way joy feels? >> she feels that every single one of our children will be president of the united states and they will all have colorful administrations. >> reporter: it's only fitting that in 2009 sidney poitier would be presented with the medal of freedom by president barack obama. >> poitier once called his driving purpose to make himself a better person. he did. and he made us all a little bit better along the way. at fidelity, your dedicated advisor will work with you on a comprehensive wealth plan across your full financial picture. a plan with tax-smart investing strategies designed to help you keep more of what you earn. this is the planning effect. nurse mariyam sa

guess who's coming to dinner" as a fiance introduced to his wary perspective in-laws played by spencer tracy and katharine hepburn, among the first in anything he did whether speaking, moving or just ti on screen was all but impossible. poitier also knew how many eyes were on him always, understood keenly how he carried with him the long denied hopes of black americans. "i felt as if i were representing, 15, 18 million people with every move i made," he once said. later poitier found a home in the rollicking comedies of the 1970s starring in such hits as "uptown saturday night" which he also directed. in the '90s he acted alongside robert redford, james earl jones and the late river phoenix in the political caper picture "sneakers." >> i couldn't and still can't play a scene, i cannot play a scene that i don't find the texture of humanity. >> reporter: he would receive the presidential medal of freedom from president obama in 2009. at the oscars in 2002 he would be given an honorary statue and would be seated in a box as denzel washington won best actor for "training day" and acknowledged hi

starred in "to sir with love," "in the heat of the night," and "guess who is coming to dinner," with spencer tracy to face criticism from some in the african-american community who labeled him an uncle tom for the purity of his roles. and it didn't hurt you? >> it hurt me for what? i just simply say i live by a certain code. i have to have a certain amount of decency in my behavioral pattern. i have to have that. ♪♪ >> reporter: in the 1970s, poitier turned to directing, and surprisingly the actor who so often personified elegance, grace, and earnestness... >> give me your life. >> reporter: ...directed comedy with slap stick. >> oh! >> reporter: in the 1980s, he turned to writing books, producing three autobiographies. and when we spoke in 2013, sidney poitier, then 86 years old, had just written a novel. >> i was not intending to make an impression. i was finding release for myself within myself. i was looking for who i am at this point in my life. >> reporter: did you find out? >> somewhat, yes. >> reporter: who are you? >> i'm a good person. ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most

the screen, sold race relations on the screen, on screen with tony curtis and rod steiger and spencer tracyat he face? did he talk about them?— difficulties that he face? did he talk about them? he did. he had trouble representing _ talk about them? he did. he had trouble representing in _ talk about them? he did. he had trouble representing in such - talk about them? he did. he had trouble representing in such a i talk about them? he did. he had i trouble representing in such a way. he was given such a lot of roles that had to be dignified and controlled that he felt it was nice representative and he wanted to bring more complexity to his rule is that he had to shoulder the burden. he realised how important a role it was to be on broadway, in a play that changed black american literature forever. he realised the importance of what he could do, the symbolising of an entire change and shift in representation, a change in the way that his people were seen was actually crucial to high heaven and the profession went, so every single actor that has followed him, denzil washington said he followe

spencer." after nearly 50 films and a 20-year career, she calls it the role of a lifetime. she is in conversation with tracyphotographed woman in the world, her every move and every outfit captured on camera, even in her most difficult times, like the days after her separation from prince charles. >> whatever uncertainty the last few weeks may have brought, i want you to be certain of this: i'll work together and our work together will continue unchanged. >> reporter: of course, we can't know what diana's life was really like when she was out of camera range, but that hasn't stofilmmakers from trying to fill in the blanks. >> your royal highness -- >> reporter: "spencer," the title comes from is a fable based on true events. the events in this case are a 1991 christmas gathering at the queen's estate, back when diana's marriage to prince charles was going down in flames. >> stand very still and smile a lot. >> reporter: and she was presumably fed up to here with the constraints of being a royal. >> you know, you have to be able to make your body do things you hate. >> reporter: in the film, diana is played