Who is Cicely Tyson?
Cicely Tyson (born: Cicely L. Tyson) was an American actress and former fashion model. In her six-decade career, she was best known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. She has received three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Black Reel Awards, one Screen Actor Guild Award, one Tony Award, and an honorary Academy Award.
Tyson was a popular fashion model. Early in her career, Tyson appeared in minor film and television roles. She garnered widespread attention and critical acclaim for her performance as Rebecca Morgan in the 1972 American DeLuxe color drama film, Sounder. For her work in the film, Tyson was nominated for both the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
Her portrayal of the title role in the 1974 television film The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman won her further praise. The role won her two Emmy Awards and a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Tyson has also appeared in various theater productions. She was named a Kennedy Center honoree in 2015. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor in the United States in November 2016.
Cicely Tyson Television Career
Her first acting role was on the NBC series Frontiers of Faith in 1951. Tyson played her first stage role in 1950 and her first film role in Carib Gold in 1956, but she went on to do more television work, such as the celebrated series East Side/West Side, in which she became the first African American to star in a television drama and the soap opera The Guiding Light.
In 1961, Tyson featured in the original cast of French playwright Jean Genet’s The Blacks, the longest-running off-Broadway non-musical of the decade, running for 1,408 performances. On March 25, 1963, Tyson appeared on the game show, To Tell The Truth as a decoy contestant for Shirley Abicair. She appeared with Sammy Davis Jr. in the film A Man Called Adam (1966) and starred in the film version of Graham Greene’s The Comedians (1967). Tyson had a featured role in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968), and appeared in a segment of Roots.
In 1972, Tyson featured in the role of Rebecca Morgan in the critically acclaimed film Sounder. She was nominated for both the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her work in Sounder and also won the NSFC Best Actress and NBR Best Actress Awards.
In 1974, Tyson played the title role in the television film The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Tyson’s portrayal of a young African-American slave won her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie and an Emmy Award for Actress of the Year – Special. Tyson was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work in this television film.
Tyson’s acclaimed television roles include Binta in the 1977 miniseries Roots, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie; Coretta Scott King in the 1978 miniseries King, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie; Marva Collins in the 1981 television film The Marva Collins Story, for which she received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie, and Muriel in the 1986 television film Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story, for which she received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special.
In 2010, Tyson appeared in Why Did I Get Married Too? and narrated the Paul Robeson Award-winning documentary, Up from the Bottoms: The Search for the American Dream. In 2011, Tyson appeared in her first music video in Willow Smith’s 21st Century Girl. That same year, she played Constantine Jefferson, a maid in Jackson, Mississippi, in the critically acclaimed period drama The Help. Set in the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, the film won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
In 2013, Tyson played a supporting role in the horror film The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia. Since 2014, Tyson has guest-starred in How to Get Away with Murder as Ophelia Harkness, the mother of the main character Annalise Keating (Viola Davis); for this role, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
How Old is Cicely Tyson?
Cicely died at the age of 96 on Thursday 29th January 2021 having been born on December 19, 1924, in Harlem, New York City, New York, United States. She shares her birthday with other famous people such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Alyssa Milano, Karim Benzema, Édith Piaf, and Paulina Gretzky, among others.
Cicely Tyson Cause of Death
Her death was confirmed by her longtime manager Larry Thompson.“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” according to a statement issued through Thompson.
However, Thompson did not further state Tyson’s cause of death.
Cicely Tyson Family
Who are Cicely Tyson’s parents?
Tyson was born in Harlem to immigrants Frederica Tyson, a domestic worker, and William Augustine Tyson, who worked as a carpenter, painter, and at any other jobs, he could find.
Does Cicely Tyson have siblings?
Cicely has two siblings, a brother Issac Tyson and a sister Sandra Tyson.
Cicely Tyson Husband
Tyson married jazz trumpeter Miles Davis on November 26, 1981, in a ceremony conducted by Atlanta mayor Andrew Young at the home of actor Bill Cosby. The couple first dated in the 1960s and Davis used a photo of Tyson for his 1967 album, Sorcerer. Tyson and Davis rekindled their relationship in 1978.
Davis and Tyson’s marriage was tumultuous due to Davis’s volatile temper and infidelity. Davis even credited Tyson with saving his life and helping him overcome his cocaine addiction. The couple resided in Malibu, California until Tyson filed for divorce in 1988. Their divorce was finalized in 1989. Davis died on 28 September 1991 after several days on life support. His death was attributed to the combined effects of a stroke, pneumonia, and respiratory failure.
Cicely Tyson Kids
According to reports, Tyson is said to have had no biological children. However, in her memoir titled Just As I Am, she talks about a daughter, whom she calls “Joan.” The book was published on January 26, 2021, just two days before her death. In the book, she talks about her daughter’s birth and childhood.
Cicely Tyson Height
The three Primetime Emmy Awards winner Cicely Tyson stands at 1.61 m tall.
Cicely Tyson’s Net Worth
Tyson’s long-time career has earned her great wealth. Being a veteran actress and earning herself prominent roles in many popular films has largely contributed to her income generation. Tyson’s net worth amounts to $10 million.
Cicely Tyson Roots
Tyson featured in the Roots an American television miniseries where she played the role of Binta. For her role in the film, Tyson was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie.
Cicely Tyson The Help
The Help is a 2011 American period drama film, in which Cicely featured playing the role of Constantine Bates. The film and novel recount the story of a young white woman and aspiring journalist Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan.
Cicely Tyson Hat
On August 31, 2018, Tyson drew so much attention during her friend Aretha Franklin’s funeral due to the amazing big-black hat she wore. With a hat that turned heads and songs that stirred hearts, Tyson spoke passionately at Aretha’s funeral. Tyson was largely praised.
Cicely Tyson Films
Some of Tyson’s films include:
- The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)
(Drama) - Sounder (1972)
(Drama, Family) - The Help (2011)
(Drama) - Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
(Crime, Drama, Thriller) - Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
(Drama) - The Last Angry Man (1959)
(Drama) - A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich (1978)
(Drama) - The Comedians (1967)
(Drama)
Cicely Tyson Awards
Emmy Awards
1974
- Best Lead Actress in a Drama – The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Actress of the Year – Special – The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
1994
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special – Oldest Confederate Living Confederate Widow Tells All
Tony Award
- 2013 Best Actress in a Play The Trip to Bountiful
Academy Award
- 2018 Academy Honorary Award