saying:
"Happy birthday Dad. Love you SO much. Hope I look half as good as you at 94."
After his outstanding performance in the 1963 movie "Lilies of the Field," Sidney garnered fame and was the first African American to earn an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1964.
Sidney had studied at the American Negro Theater and funded his lessons by working as a janitor. After that, he began to climb the performance ladder in Hollywood. He also starred in "Buck and the Preacher," and "Stir Crazy."
In the personal sphere, Sidney has been married twice and has six children. His first wife was Juanita Hardy, and they had Beverly, Pamela, Sherri, and Gina. Sydney and Anika were born to him and his current wife, Joanna Shimkus.
A few years ago on Father's Day, Sydney revealed that even though their dad was strict, he would still play along with his children's games. She said in an interview that:
"We would put barrettes in his hair and then we'd make him call room service."
Although it was difficult for Black actors to achieve acting roles in the 1950s, Sidney made waves as one of the first Black American actors to gain recognition in Hollywood at a time of racial inequality.
During his career, he won several awards which attest to his performance skills. These include an Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, and Life Achievement Awards from AFI, BAFTA, and NAACP Image Awards.
Sidney's second youngest daughter, Sydney, took after her father and pursued an acting career. She has a Bachelor's degree in acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
She began her career in the early 2000s and has starred in several television shows, including "First Years," "Abby," "Joan of Arcadia," "Veronica Mars," "Knight Rider," and the movie "Death Proof."
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