The leading African-American actor of his generation and the first African-American to win the best-actor Oscar, Sidney Poitier may be best remembered for the classic _In the Heat of The

Night_. That film took a best-picture Oscar; it's out now in a 40th-anniversary edition DVD. Poitier's other films include _The Defiant Ones_, _A Patch of Blue_, _Guess Who's

Coming to Dinner?_, and _To Sir, With Love_. _This interview first aired on April 18, 2000. _ Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.