Cicely Tyson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cicely Tyson
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Tyson in 1973
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| Born |
Cicely Louise Tyson
December 19, 1924 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | January 28, 2021 (aged 96) New York City, U.S.
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| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1948–2020 |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) |
Kenneth Franklin
(m. 1942; div. 1956) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
Cicely Louise Tyson (born December 19, 1924 – died January 28, 2021) was an amazing American actress. She was famous for playing strong and inspiring African-American women.
Her acting career lasted over 70 years. She worked in movies, TV shows, and plays. Cicely Tyson won many important awards. These included three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Tony Award, an Academy Honorary Award, and a Peabody Award.
Tyson became a big star after her role as Rebecca Morgan in the movie Sounder (1972). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for this role. She also received a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Besides her work on screen, Tyson also performed in many theater shows. In 2015, she was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors. This is a special award for artists who have greatly contributed to American culture. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest award a civilian can get in the United States. In 2020, she was added to the Television Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Cicely Tyson was born in the Bronx, New York City. Her family later moved to East Harlem. She was one of three children. Her parents, Fredericka and William Tyson, came from Nevis in the Caribbean. Her father worked as a carpenter and painter. Her mother was a domestic worker.
Tyson grew up in a very religious home. She sang in the church choir. At first, her mother did not want her to be an actress. But she changed her mind after seeing Cicely perform on stage.
In 1963, while studying at The New School, Tyson appeared on a TV game show. It was called To Tell The Truth.
Her Incredible Acting Career
Starting Her Journey
Cicely Tyson was first discovered by a photographer for Ebony magazine. She became a very successful fashion model. Her first small acting role was in the 1956 film Carib Gold. She first acted on stage in 1958. This was in a play called Dark of the Moon.
In the early 1960s, Tyson was in the original cast of the play The Blacks. Other famous actors in the play included Maya Angelou and James Earl Jones. This play ran for a very long time, with over 1,400 performances. She won an award for her acting in another play, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, in 1961-1962.
A TV producer named David Susskind saw Tyson act. He cast her in the CBS TV series East Side/West Side (1963–1964). She played a secretary on the show. At that time, she was the only African-American regular cast member on a TV show. The show was known for talking about important social issues.
In the mid-1960s, she also had a role in the soap opera The Guiding Light. She appeared in the film A Man Called Adam (1966) with Sammy Davis, Jr.. In 1968, Tyson had a main role in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.
Becoming a Star
In 1972, Tyson played Rebecca Morgan in the movie Sounder. Her performance earned her nominations for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She also won other awards for this role.
In 1974, Tyson starred in the TV film The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. She played a black woman who lived from slavery until the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Tyson won two Primetime Emmy Awards for this amazing performance.
Tyson had many other important TV roles. She played Binta in the 1977 miniseries Roots. She was also Coretta Scott King in the 1978 miniseries King. In 1981, she played Marva Collins in The Marva Collins Story. For these roles, she won or was nominated for many awards.
Later Roles and Continued Success
In 1989, Tyson appeared in the TV miniseries The Women of Brewster Place. In 1991, she was in the popular movie Fried Green Tomatoes. From 1994 to 1995, Tyson starred in the TV series Sweet Justice. She played a civil rights activist and lawyer.
Other notable film roles include Hoodlum (1997) and Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005). She also starred in the TV films Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994), for which she won another Emmy, and A Lesson Before Dying (1999). In 2005, Tyson co-starred in Because of Winn-Dixie.
In 2011, Tyson played Constantine Jefferson in the movie The Help. This film was set during the Civil Rights Movement. The cast won awards for their great acting together.
In 2013, at the age of 88, Tyson won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. This was for her role as Miss Carrie Watts in The Trip to Bountiful. She became the oldest person to win this award.
From 2014 onwards, Tyson had a recurring role on the TV show How to Get Away with Murder. She played Ophelia Harkness, the mother of the main character. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role several times. In 2020, she starred in the popular Netflix movie A Fall From Grace.
Personal Life and Legacy
Cicely Tyson married Kenneth Franklin in 1942. Their marriage ended in 1956.
She later married famous jazz musician Miles Davis in 1981. They lived in California and New York City. They divorced in 1989.
Tyson was the godmother to singer Lenny Kravitz. She was also godmother to Denzel Washington's daughter, Katia, and Tyler Perry's son, Aman. She was a member of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York. She was also a vegetarian.
Her book, Just as I Am, was published in January 2021. She promoted the book shortly before she passed away. When asked how she wanted to be remembered, Tyson said, "I've done my best. That's all."
Death
Cicely Tyson passed away on January 28, 2021, at 96 years old. Her funeral was held in Harlem. Many famous people attended, including Tyler Perry and former President Bill Clinton. She was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) next to her former husband, Miles Davis.
Filmography
Here are some of the movies and TV shows Cicely Tyson was in:
- The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)
- Sounder (1972)
- The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
- Roots (1977)
- A Woman Called Moses (1978)
- Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
- A Lesson Before Dying (1999)
- Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)
- Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
- The Help (2011)
- The Trip to Bountiful (2014)
- How to Get Away with Murder (2015-2020)
- House of Cards (2016)
- Last Flag Flying (2017)
- A Fall From Grace (2020)
Awards and Special Honors
Cicely Tyson received many awards and honors throughout her life. These include an Academy Honorary Award, three Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. She won Primetime Emmy Awards for her work in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) and Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994). She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for The Trip to Bountiful in 2014.
Tyson received an Honorary Academy Award in 2018. The award recognized her "unforgettable performances and personal integrity" that inspired many people. In 2015, she received a Kennedy Center Honor. In 2016, she was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. In 2020, she received a Career Achievement Peabody Award and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
In 1977, Tyson was added to the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. She received the Crystal Award in 1982. This award honors women who have helped expand the role of women in entertainment. In 1997, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2005, Tyson was honored at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball. She was also recognized by several civil rights organizations. These included the NAACP. In 2010, she received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. This was for her contributions to entertainment and civil rights. In 2018, she became the first African-American woman to receive an honorary Oscar. She was also inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. One of the soundstages at Tyler Perry Studios was named after her. In 2022, she was added to the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Cicely Tyson also received special degrees from several universities. A school in East Orange, New Jersey, the Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts, was named after her in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Cicely Tyson para niños
