Joanna Shimkus
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Joanna Shimkus
OR:
Joanna Shimkus on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Joanna Marie Poitier ( Shimkus; born 30 October 1943) is a Canadian film actress. She is the widow of actor Sidney Poitier and mother of actress
Sydney Tamiia Poitier Sydney Tamiia Poitier ( ) is an American television and film actress. Early life and family Born in Los Angeles on November 15, 1973, Poitier is the daughter of the late Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier and Canadian actress Joanna Shimk ...
.


Early life

Joanna Marie Shimkus was born in
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...
, to Joseph Shimkus,Marriage Register - Nova Scotia Archives
archives.novascotia.ca a Jewish father of Lithuanian descent and Marie Petrie, a Roman Catholic of Irish descent. Her father worked for the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
. She attended a convent school and was brought up in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
.


Career

She made her debut in 1964 in
Jean Aurel Jean Aurel (6 November 1925 in Rastolita, Romania – 24 August 1996 in Paris) was a Romanian-born French film director and scriptwriter. Notably, he co-wrote ''La Femme d'à côté'' (''The Woman Next Door'') with François Truffaut and Suzann ...
's film ''
De l'amour ''All About Loving'' (french: De l'amour) is a 1964 French comedy film directed by Jean Aurel and starring Anna Karina. Cast * Anna Karina as Hélène * Elsa Martinelli as Mathilde * Michel Piccoli as Raoul * Jean Sorel as Antoine * Philippe ...
''. (She was first featured in Jean-Luc Godard's short “Montparnasse-Levallois,” his contribution to the anthology film ''
Six in Paris ''Six in Paris'' (french: Paris vu par..., lit=Paris Seen By...) is a 1965 French comedy-drama anthology film. Cast and segments "Saint-Germain-des-Prés" Directed by Jean Douchet *Jean-Pierre Andréani as Raymond * Jean-François Chappey as Je ...
''; it was shot in December 1963, but the film was not released until 1965.) She was then noticed by film director
Robert Enrico Robert Georgio Enrico (13 April 1931 – 23 February 2001) was a French film director and scriptwriter best known for making the Oscar-winning short ''An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'' (1961). He was born in Liévin, Pas-de-Calais, in the nort ...
, who selected her to appear in three of his films; '' Les aventuriers'' (1967), opposite Alain Delon and Lino Ventura, ''
Tante Zita Tante is the French, Dutch (Nederland), German, Danish, and Yiddish word for aunt (female sibling of a parent) ''Tante'' may also refer to: * A novel by Anne Douglas Sedgwick, upon which the film ''The Impossible Woman'' is based * Tante Leen (19 ...
'' (1968) and '' Ho!'' (1968). She appeared in Joseph Losey's film '' Boom!'' (1968), opposite Elizabeth Taylor and
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...
, and ''
The Lost Man ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (1969), opposite Sidney Poitier. Her film career continued until the early 1970s, including roles in ''L'Invitée'' (1969), ''
The Virgin and the Gypsy ''The Virgin and the Gipsy'' is a short novel (or novella) by English author D.H. Lawrence. It was written in 1926 and published posthumously in 1930. Today it is often entitled ''The Virgin and the Gypsy'' which can lead to confusion because fi ...
'' (1970), ''
The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker ''The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker'' is a 1971 American romantic comedy-drama film released in 1971, based on a novel of the same title by Charles Webb. It was directed and produced by Lawrence Turman, who produced 1967's high-grossing hit '' ...
'' (1971) and ''
A Time for Loving ''A Time for Loving'' is from an original screenplay by the French playwright Jean Anouilh, commissioned by the producer Anatole de Grunwald before he died in 1967, which was finally produced by his younger brother Dimitri de Grunwald with Ch ...
'' (1972).


Personal life

Shimkus married Sidney Poitier in 1976, and they have two daughters: Anika and Sydney Tamiia, who is also an actress. Shimkus has three grandchildren; two from Anika and one from Sydney Tamiia. Sidney Poitier died on 6 January 2022, aged 94.


Further reading

* ''The Illustrated Who's Who of the Cinema'', Lloyd Fuller Desser, Portland House, New York, 1987;


References


External links

* 1943 births Living people Actresses from Halifax, Nova Scotia Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Canadian film actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian people of Jewish descent {{Canada-actor-stub