Tony Curtis broke a Hollywood taboo

Tony Curtis broke a Hollywood taboo in the 1950s by insisting that an African American actor, Sidney Poitier, have costarring billing next to him in the movie The Defiant Ones (1958). Yes, that s correct. Tony Curtis played a pivotal role in breaking racial barriers in Hollywood by insisting that Sidney Poitier receive costarring billing with him in the movie The Defiant Ones (1958). At the time, Hollywood was still grappling with segregation and racial discrimination, and it was rare for African American actors to receive equal billing and recognition alongside their white counterparts in major films. The Defiant Ones was a significant film that dealt with issues of race and prejudice. In the film, Curtis and Poitier played two escaped prisoners, one white and one Black, who are shackled together as they flee from the law. Curtis s insistence on equal billing for Sidney Poitier was a bold and groundbreaking move, and it helped to challenge and change the indust