11. SIDNEY POITIER
In the Heat of the Night (1967)

As an impeccably dressed Philadelphia police officer picked up for murder in '60s Mississippi, Poitier masterfully keeps his character's fury just below the boil, merely hinting at his power when he bellows in response to Rod Steiger's racist sheriff: ''They call me Mr. Tibbs!'' Steiger nabbed the Best Actor Oscar (Poitier had already gotten one for 1963's Lilies of the Field), but with Poitier's radical, barrier-breaking performance, Hollywood's first real black star explicitly demanded respect.