Quotes By Sidney Poitier

I couldn't adjust to the racism in Florida.

In America, it is difficult to be your own man.

I had two roles for which I compromised.

Far as I can tell, I still have most of my hair, my gut is not hanging over my belt, and I still have all of my teeth.

But my dad also was a remarkable man, a good person, a principled individual, a man of integrity.

When I set out to become an actor, I had set myself a standard.

My father was a poor man, very poor in a British colonial possession where class and race were very important.

To be compared to Jackie Robinson is an enormous compliment, but I don't think it's necessarily deserved.

I wanted to look at them because I feel, internally, that I am an ordinary person who has had an extraordinary life.

I'm not a library.

As a man, I've been representative of the values I hold dear. And the values I hold dear are carryovers from the lives of my parents.

I get offered work these days.

My father was very big on marriage.

In my case, the body of work stands for itself... I think my work has been representative of me as a man.

I'm going to quit writing.

Since I couldn't actuate the things that I wanted to do, the only weapon I had was to say no.

I don't very often read novels.

I'll always be chasing you... Glory.

I cannot be understood in three minutes.

I come from a great family. I've seen family life and I know how wonderful, how nurturing, and how wonderful it can be.

Generally, I tend to despise human behavior rather than human creatures.

An appreciable number of directors have shifted to lower-cost films, allowing them to be satisfied with a more modest return.

So I had to be careful. I recognized the responsibility that, whether I liked it or not, I had to accept whatever the obligation was. That was to behave in a manner, to carry myself in such a professional way, as if there ever is a reflection, it's a positive one.

Mine was an easy ride compared to Jackie Robinson's.

I wanted to explore the values that are at work, underpinning my life.

The impact of the black audience is expressing itself. They look to films to be more expressive of their needs, their lives. Hollywood has gotten that message - finally.

I had learned something of Miami from people who had visited there, so I knew what to expect.