Joanna Shimkus
Joanna Marie Shimkus is a Canadian film actress. She is the widow of actor Sidney Poitier and mother of actress Sydney Tamiia Poitier.
Early life
Joanna Marie Shimkus was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Joseph Shimkus, a Jewish father of Lithuanian descent, and Marie Petrie, a Roman Catholic of Irish descent. Her father worked for the Royal Canadian Navy. She attended a convent school and was brought up in Montreal.Career
She made her debut in 1964 in Jean Aurel's film De l'amour. She was then noticed by film director Robert Enrico, who selected her to appear in three of his films; Les aventuriers, opposite Alain Delon and Lino Ventura, Tante Zita, and Ho!.She appeared in Joseph Losey's film Boom!, opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and The Lost Man, opposite Sidney Poitier. Her film career continued until the early 1970s, including roles in L'Invitée, The Virgin and the Gypsy, The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker, and A Time for Loving.