I’m finishing up my learning theme for January, and I listened to a wonderful NYT podcast on Sidney Poitier.

Mr. Poiter left a lasting legacy on acting — winning the first Oscar for Best Actor as a black man. But his start wasn’t so rosy…

He arrived in NYC penniless and homeless — sleeping on benches and charged for vagrancy. By chance, he decided to try out for a part at the American Negro Theater. He didn’t have much education, so he performs poorly in the audition because he couldn’t properly read the script.

The director says something that changes his life: “Stop wasting people’s time. Why don’t you go out and get yourself a job as a dishwasher or something?”

And at that moment, something snaps. Sidney recounts: “By the time I reached the corner, I had resolved that I would become an actor, only to prove to him that I was not just destined to be a dishwasher.”

Wesley Morris shares on the podcast: “He became an actor out of personal offense. It was not a dream. It wasn’t an ambition. It was to prove somebody wrong. I think he wanted to prove that he was more than this country at this point in his life was telling him he could be.”

The story after is one of legend. He goes back to the theater, pitches to be their maintenance guy if they let him watch the acting lessons and watch the productions. And he works and works and works.

Fast forward: he becomes someone that defines a generation and inspires generations.

Beautiful. And a good reminder that we are not only the actor — but also the author of our own story. Main character vibes!