Sidney Poitier, the first Black performer to win the Academy Award famously known as the Oscars for best actor, for “Lilies of the Field died at the age of 94

Poitier was the leading actor in Lilies of the Field in 1963 a role that earned him the Oscar in 1964.

He played dignified heroes in films like “To Sir, With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” established him as Hollywood’s first Black matinee idol and helped open the door for Black actors in the film industry.

His death was confirmed by Eugene Torchon-Newry, acting director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Bahamas, where Mr. Poitier grew up.

The cause of death is still unknown.