Poi ‧ ti ‧ er, Sid ‧ ney /ˈpwɒtieɪ $ ˈpwɑːtjeɪ, ˈsɪdni/ BrE AmE
(1924–) a US film actor and ↑ director , who was one of the first African American actors to appear in films playing serious characters, rather than ↑ stereotype s based on race. His films include The Blackboard Jungle (1955), In the Heat of the Night (1967), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967). He won an Oscar in 1963 for Lilies of the Field .