some of whom are being treated in hospital. one is reported to be in critical condition. the building, housed a canteen, was reduced to rubble by the blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak. the former us president, barack obama, has led tributes to the actor sir sidney poitier who s died at the age of 94. mr obama said the star had opened doors for a generation of actors . sidney poitier made his name in a series of ground breaking films which challenged racial stereotypes. he was the first black man to win an oscar for best actor, and his success paved the way for generations of other black artists. our correspondent, lizo mazimba looks back on the life, of a hollywood icon. # in the heat of the night. sidney poitier s virgil tibbs, a man of authority. i m a police officer. ..intelligence and a steely determination never to back down the kind of qualities that defined poitier on screen and off.
mean to you? i mean, i think one of the first performances i saw - mean to you? i mean, i think one of the first performances i saw was - mean to you? i mean, i think one of the first performances i saw was in i the first performances i saw was in the heat of the night, and it was absolutely stunning. he had this presence and this dignity that everyone talks about, and it was just so moving. and he slapped this white man back, and i think that was a very big moment, he slaps this racist back. it was a huge moment for us. to see that on film, and i m sure i saw it after the film was released, but it was startling kind of. to see him stand up for himself. i also remember to sir with love, and kind of this feeling with of him as a matinee idol, and i think the importance of him opening the door to a generation of young african american actors kind of standing on his shoulder and looking up standing on his shoulder and looking up to him, and feeling profound love
confront racial prejudices. they call me mr. tibbs. reporter: but he would also challenge the hollywood establishment forcing a change in his/connick role as detective virgil tibbs in the 1967 academy-award winning in the heat of the night because of a scene that would require him to aces to a racist character. i m going to take you over to brownsville and put you on the bus myself. you re not taking me anywhere. you dig? you re holding the wrong man. reporter: that same way he would star in the watershed film guess who is coming to dinner alongside spencer tracy and katharine hepburn. mom, this is john. the film not only 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 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.
denzel washington said he was a gentle man who opened doors which had been closed for years. spike lee said he was a proud, dignified, handsome and strong black man, a game changer who impacted lives with a positive force. and the director steve mcqueen said, with his caribbean heritage and american birth, sidney poitier was an icon to the black diaspora. he was someone to be proud of, he was someone who dared, he was someone to love and he was someone to cherish. i ve been speaking to the film director, screenwriter, and actor kasi lemmons, who directed the tribute video for sidney poitier s honorary oscar. i asked her what he had meant to her. i mean, i think one of the first performances i saw was in the heat of the night, and it was absolutely stunning. he had this presence and this dignity that everyone talks about, and it was just so moving.
to the actor sir sidney poitier, who s died at the age of 94. mr obama said the star had opened doors for a generation of actors . sidney poitier made his name in a series of ground breaking films which challenged racial stereotypes. he was the first black man to win an oscar for best actor, and his success paved the way for generations of other black artists. our correspondent lizo mzimba looks back on the life of a hollywood icon. # in the heat of the night. sidney poitier s virgil tibbs, a man of authority. i m a police officer. ..intelligence and a steely determination never to back down the kind of qualities that defined poitier on screen and off. he made his cinema debut playing a doctor, a man of status something almost unheard of for black performers then. and with roles like an escaped convict in the defiant ones and a struggling husband in a raisin in the sun, he tackled prejudice head on. maybe i ll get down