Cathy Tyson facts for kids

Catherine Tyson (born on June 12, 1965) is a talented English actress. She has been acting since 1984. Cathy Tyson is known for her roles in many films and TV shows.

She won a special award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for her acting in the movie Mona Lisa (1986). She was also nominated for other big awards like the Golden Globe Award and the BAFTA Award for that role. More recently, in 2022, she won a British Academy Television Award for her amazing performance in the TV film Help.

Early Life and How She Started Acting

Cathy Tyson was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, England, on June 12, 1965. Her mother was a social worker from England, and her father was a lawyer from Trinidad. When she was two years old, her family moved to Liverpool, where she grew up.

She went to St Winefrides school in Dingle. As a teenager, Cathy loved acting and joined the Everyman Youth Theatre in Liverpool. She decided to leave college at 17 to focus on becoming an actress.

Cathy Tyson's Acting Career

Cathy Tyson joined the famous Royal Shakespeare Company in 1984. This was a big step in her career. She played the main character in their play called Golden Girls. In the same year, she also appeared on TV in the show Scully.

She has acted in many movies. Some of her films include Business as Usual (1987) and The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988). She also appeared in Priest (1994) and The Old Man Who Read Love Stories (2001).

In 2007, Cathy joined two popular TV shows. She played Miss Gayle, the headmistress, in the school drama Grange Hill on BBC One. She also appeared in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as a character named Andrea Hayworth.

Cathy Tyson played Herodia in Liverpool Nativity for BBC Three. This was a modern version of the Christmas story. It was filmed live in Liverpool City Centre in 2007.

In 2009, Cathy decided to go back to school. She studied creative arts at City Lit. Later, she earned a degree in English and Drama from Brunel University in 2013. This shows that it's never too late to learn new things!

In 2018, she acted in the stage play Rebus: Long Shadows. In 2020, she became the voice of Gran Gran in the popular CBeebies show JoJo & Gran Gran. This show is loved by many young children.

In 2021, she was a guest star in the TV drama McDonald & Dodds. That same year, she appeared in the Channel 4 film Help. In this film, she played Poll, an older person living in a care home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her performance was highly praised, and she won a British Academy Television Award for it in 2022.

More recently, in 2023, Cathy appeared in the film Bank of Dave. She also helped produce a short film called The Consequence. In 2024, she played Sam in the film Hoard. She also appeared in the TV series Dune: Prophecy and Kaos. Over Christmas 2024, she performed in the play My Fair Lady in Leicester.

Helping Others: Charity Work

Cathy Tyson cares about helping others. She has hosted charity events for the Sick Children's Trust. This charity helps families with sick children. She also supports Scene & Heard, a children's charity in London, as an Honorary Patron.

Cathy Tyson's Family Life

Cathy Tyson married actor and comedian Craig Charles in 1984. They had a son named Jack in 1988. They later divorced in 1989.

Awards and Nominations

Cathy Tyson has received several awards and nominations for her acting: