Sydney Tamiia Poitier, born on November 15, 1973, in Los Angeles, California, is an American-Canadian television and film actress. She is the daughter of the legendary Bahamian-American actor Sir Sidney Poitier and Canadian actress Joanna Shimkus.

Her mother is of Lithuanian Jewish and Irish descent, and she has an older sister named Anika, as well as four older half-sisters from her father's first marriage. She attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a bachelor's degree in acting, and also studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

Sydney Tamiia Poitier began her acting career in the late 1990s. Her first television role came in 2001 with the NBC drama series "First Years," which was canceled after three episodes. She then starred in the UPN sitcom "Abby" in 2003, which was also canceled during its first season.

Later that year, she had a recurring role in "Joan of Arcadia" and was a regular on the first season of "Veronica Mars," although she left the show after only four episodes due to budget cuts. In 2007, she starred in Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof," part of the movie "Grindhouse," as radio DJ Jungle Julia. The following year, she had a co-starring role in the new "Knight Rider" series as FBI Agent Carrie Rivai.

In 2011, Sydney Tamiia Poitier guest-starred on two episodes of "Private Practice" and starred as Detective Sam Shaw in the Canadian crime comedy series "Carter," which ran for two seasons in 2018 and 2019. Her filmography includes roles in "True Crime" (1999), "Nine Lives" (2005), "Hood of Horror" (2006), and "Clinical" (2017).

Sydney Tamiia Poitier is married to musician Dorian Heartsong, and the couple has one daughter, born in 2015. Despite her busy career, she maintains a private lifestyle and avoids social media. She has been recognized for her talent and beauty, being named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2001.