He studied acting with, among others, Sidney Poitier. ???When I met him he gave me a sense of hope by just watching him moving in a certain kind of way,??? the younger actor told Ebony. ???That certainly gave me the feeling that I???ve got something to offer, that there is a place for me.??? He took some film work, including roles in The Last Angry Man and The Out-of-Towners, but soon realized tha