Cicely Tyson: A glance at the life of the iconic and influential Hollywood actress

Cicely Tyson is an award-winning Hollywood actress who loved breaking barriers by essaying the role of strong African - American characters which paved a way for a lot of ambitious Black actresses. Cicely has been working for nearly seven decades was 96 when she bid farewell to the world. Let’s take a look at the iconic actresses remarkable career.

Also Read: Cicely Tyson, Groundbreaking Award-winning Actor, Dead At 96

Cicely Tyson’s Early Life

Cicely Tyson was born in December 1924 in New York. Her mother was a domestic worker while her father was a carpenter and a painter. Her parents were immigrants from the West Indies and Cicely had 2 other siblings. Her father moved to New York City when he was 21 years old. According to Tyson, she was "the bane of her mother's existence" because she couldn't keep still when she was little.

 

Cicely Tyson’s Career

Cicely Tyson’s career kickstarted when she was discovered by a photographer for Ebony Magazine and she became a popular fashion model. Her entertainment career started in 1951 when she got a role in the NBC series, Frontiers of Faith. She also played parts in series like Naked City, I Spy and Mission: Impossible to Gunsmoke, The F.BI. and a co-starring gig opposite George C. Scott in the mid-’60s CBS drama East Side/West Side. She debuted in Hollywood in 1956 with the movie Carib Gold.

However, Cicely Tyson’s breakout role wasn’t until 1972, when the critically acclaimed movie Sounder released. In the movie, Cicely played the role of Rebecca Morgan. She was nominated for Best Actress for The Golden Globes Awards and the Academy Awards. 

In 1974, Cicely played the lead role in The Autobiography of Jane Pittman which was a television movie based on a novel. Cicely won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie and an Emmy Award for Actress of the Year – Special for her portrayal of a black woman’s life who was born into slavery and took part in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

Cicely was also nominated for a BAFTA  Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work in this television film. She also played prominent roles in many films like The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1967), George Cukor’s The Blue Bird (1976), A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sandwich (1978), Richard Pryor comedy Bustin’ Loose (1981), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) and Madea’s Family Reunion (2006) and Best Picture Oscar nominee The Help (2011).

Cicely Tyson won a Tony Award for her performance as Miss Carrie Watts in the movie The Trip to Bountiful. She was also nominated for the Emmys for her portrayal of Miss Carrie Watts. She guest-starred in the famous drama series How to Get Away with Murder as Ophelia Harkness and was nominated for Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Actress in Drama Series for 5 years until 2020.

Also Read: 'How To Get Away With Murder' Series Finale: Does Annalise Die?

In 2016, President Barack Obama presented Cicely with the nation’s highest civilian award, the 'Presidential Medal of Freedom', for her contribution to the arts and American culture. In September 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Cicely would receive an honorary Academy Award. On November 18, 2018, Cicely Tyson became the first African-American woman to receive an honorary Oscar 45 years later from her first and only Oscar nomination. Cicely was last seen in the Netflix movie A Fall from Grace in 2020.

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Cicely Tyson Personal Life

Cicely Tyson married Kenneth Franklin when she was just 18 in December 1942. However, the marriage broke into shambles and the couple got officially divorced in 1956. She went on to date jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in 1960. The broke up in 1968 and Miles went on to marry singer Betty Davis.

Cicely and Miles rekindled their romance in 1978 and went on to get married in 1981. However, Cicely filed for divorce in 1988 due to Davis’s temper issues, infidelity and cocaine addiction. Cicely had a daughter when she was 17 years old. 

Cicely Tyson Death

After spending 70 years in the entertainment industry, Cicely Tyson died at the age of 96 on 28th January 2021. Her manager Larry Thompson confirmed the news but her family did not share any details about Cicely Tyson’s death. Her memoir ‘Just As I Am’ was published on 26th January 2021 just two days before her demise. 

Also Read: Cicely Tyson, Seth MacFarlane Joining TV Hall Of Fame