Sidney Poitier, Hollywood’s first major black movie star who rose to mainstream popularity with a series of groundbreaking roles in the 1950s and 1960s, has died at the age of 94.

Poitier, who held dual American and Bahamian citizenship, was “an icon, a hero, a mentor, a fighter, a national treasure,” Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said on his official Facebook page.

The famous comedian became the first black star nominated for an Oscar with “The Defiant Ones” of 1958 and, six years later, was the first to win the Oscar for best actor for his performance in “Lilies of the Field” .

Star Trek actor George Takei paid tribute to “a trailblazer who will be mourned by so many to whom he opened the very doors of Hollywood.”

During a time of racial tension in America in the 1950s and 1960s, Poitier balanced success with a sense of duty in choosing projects that grapple with bigotry and stereotypes, including his 1967 classics “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” And “In the heat of the night.”

“I was in conflict with great sadness and a sense of celebration when I learned of the passing of Sir Sidney Poitier,” Cooper said on Friday.

“Sadness that he is no longer there to tell him how much he means to us, but celebration that he has done so much to show the world that those from the humblest beginnings can change the world.

“He will be sorely missed, but he is a legacy that will never be forgotten.”

Poitier received an Honorary Oscar in 2002 for his “extraordinary performances” on the big screen and for his “dignity, style and intelligence”.

On television, he has portrayed historical icons such as South Africa’s first black president Nelson Mandela and the first black United States Supreme Court judge Thurgood Marshall.

And in 1997, he took on a ceremonial post as the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan.

He was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom – the country’s highest civilian honor – by Barack Obama in 2009.

Poitier had been married to his second wife Joanna since 1976 and had six children as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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Daniel Craig’s highly anticipated film No Time To Die premiered in India on September 30. It was the last time we saw the 53-year-old English actor as James Bond. As Hollywood and the world debate who the next Bond should be, we turn our eyes to the big bad guys. You can’t have a good Bond movie without a good Bond villain. From Joseph Wiseman’s Julius No to Ernst Stavro Blofeld, villains have always been a crucial part of the James Bond films. With their outrageous plans to kill Bond and their cold indifference to human life, these villains lead the plot. Today, we’re ranking the 15 Best Bond Villains Who Made You Support The Villain.

1. DR JULIUS NO

The first Bond villain to appear on the big screen was Dr. Julius No. He appeared in the 1962 film Dr. No. Joseph Wiseman portrayed the character of Dr. No, a half-German-half-Chinese mad scientist with prosthetic limbs. metal hands. In the film, he plotted to disrupt an American space launch with a radio beam. However, his plan is foiled by Bond, played by Sean Connery. Dr. Julius No also encounters a horrific spell while being boiled alive in a cooling vat.

2. ERNST STAVRO BLOFELD

Ernst Stavro Blofeld is one of James Bond’s best villains on screen. He has appeared in seven Bond films. Blofeld is the head of an evil organization called Specter. Ernst Stavro Blofeld first appeared in the 1963 film From Russia With Love, played by Anthony Dawson and voiced by Eric Pohlmann. He was recently seen in Specter (2015) played by Christoph Waltz. Donald Pleasance’s performance in You Only Live Twice (1967) became very popular.

3. AURIC GOLDFINGER

Auric Goldfinger, played by Gert Frobe, appeared in the 1964 film, Goldfinger. He was a businessman obsessed with gold. Goldfinger’s goal was to detonate an atomic bomb inside Fort Knox. This would have made the reserves radioactive, thus increasing the value of its own supply. He also planned to kill Bond with a laser.

4. JAWS

Jaws was an assassin, brilliantly portrayed by Richard Kiel, in Roger Moore’s films The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). Unlike Bond’s regular henchmen, Jaws looked more like a horror movie villain. In Moonraker, he ultimately helped Bond defeat the main villain, Drax, played by Michael Lonsdale.

5. ALEX TREVELYAN

In the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, we had another iconic villain – Alec Trevelyan – a rogue MI6 agent. His program was world domination. Alec’s plan was to deploy a satellite weapon named GoldenEye and cause a global financial crash. The popular character was played by Sean Bean.

6. FRANCISCO SCARAMANGA

Francisco Scaramanga was a highly skilled assassin in the 1974 James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun. He was popularly known for his gold weapon and assorted bullets. First a sniper in a circus act, Scaramanga ends up becoming a contract assassin. He lives on his own private island where he lures Bond for a duel.

7. THE NUMBER

Le Chiffre, played by Mads Mikkelsen, made his big screen debut in 2006 at Casino Royale. The character first appeared in Ian Fleming’s 1953 Bond novel of the same name. Casino Royale was also Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond, where he embarks on a mission to bankrupt millionaire terrorist Le Chiffre. He plans to do this during a game of poker.

8. ELEKTRA KING

In 1999, the world is not enough, we had a villain, Elektra King, played by Sophie Marceau. His plan was to detonate a nuclear weapon to increase his business interests. She also shared chemistry with James Bond which initially blinded him to his deviousness.

9. MAX ZORINE

Christopher Walken has delivered many incredible performances as a villain in his career. However, his performance as Max Zorin, in the James Bond film A View to a Kill, surpasses everything. His plan is to destroy Silicon Valley for a monopoly on microchips. He took the spotlight away from Bond in the film and was just an incredibly entertaining figure to watch. Christoper was the first Oscar winner to play a Bond villain.

10. DONALD RED GRANT

Red is one of Bond’s best henchmen and has appeared in From Russia With Love. He was trained specifically to kill James Bond, and he has a big and complicated plan. His fight on a train with 007 was the most discussed scene, which could never be recreated in any other franchise. Robert Shaw’s performance as Donal Red Grant was absolutely amazing.

11. SMALL WORK

In Goldfinger we have one of the dumbest villains in James Bond history – Oddjob played by Harold Sakata. His deadly weapon was his hat, which he used to kill. Everything about Oddjob is memorable because he was different from other James Bond villains.

12. XENIA ONATOPP

In 1995’s GoldenEye, Xenia Onatopp, played by Famke Janssen, captured hearts with her performance as Bond villain. Known as Venus Flytrap, Xenia was a fighter pilot and a hired killer. His preferred method of murder was strangling with the help of his thighs. Xenia Onatopp is the best villain James Bond has ever faced.

13. Mr. HINX

In 2015’s Specter, Mr. Hinx was presented as a villain, arguably one of Bond’s best henchmen. He’s an assassin working for the terrorist organization Specter. His signature weapon is a double barreled AF2011A1 Dueller Prismatic. Why do we love Mr. Hinx? Because he not only possesses superhuman strength, he is also very intelligent. He has a personality that would impress more than one.

14. FRANZ SANCHEZ

Franz Sanchez is a drug lord who leads the powerful Sanchez cartel in the 1989 James Bond film, License to Kill. The character was brilliantly played by Robert Davi. Not only is Sanchez a ruthless villain, but he’s also a smart and cultured man of the world. It aimed to smuggle cocaine into Asia by dissolving the drug in gasoline.

15. ELLIOT CARVER

In the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies, Elliot Carver was revealed to be James Bond’s deadliest villain. Played by Jonathan Pryce, Elliot hoped to rule the world through the media. It was intended to fire a cruise missile towards Beijing and use it to leverage a broadcast deal. However, Bond destroyed the missile before it was launched.

So who’s your favorite Bond villain?

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