Cicely Tyson

Cicely Tyson
Tyson in 1973
Born
Cecily[1][2] Louise Tyson[3][4]

(1924-12-19)December 19, 1924[5][a]
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 28, 2021(2021-01-28) (aged 96)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery
OccupationActress
Years active1948–2020
Notable workFull list
Spouses
Kenneth Franklin
​
​
(m. 1942; div. 1956)​
​
​
(m. 1981; div. 1989)​
Children1
AwardsFull list

Cecily[1][2] Louise "Cicely" Tyson (/ˈsɪsəliː/; December 19, 1924 – January 28, 2021) was an American actress. In a career which spanned more than seven decades, she was known for her portrayals of complex and strong-willed African-American women.[9][10] She received several awards including an three Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations a BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award. She was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, and the Honorary Academy Award in 2018.

She garnered widespread attention and critical acclaim for her performance a black mother facing adversity in the drama film Sounder (1972), for which she was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She also acted in films such as A Man Called Adam (1966), The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968), The River Niger (1976), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), The Help (2011), and Last Flag Flying (2017).

On television, she broke barriers taking a regular role on the CBS drama series East Side West Side (1963–1964). She won two Primetime Emmy Awards, her first for Best Lead Actress in a Drama for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), and her second for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994). She was Emmy-nominated for her roles in Roots (1977), King (1978), Sweet Justice (1995), A Lesson Before Dying (1999), The Trip to Bountiful (2013), and How to Get Away With Murder (2015–2020).

In addition to her screen career, Tyson was known for her starring roles on Broadway. She made her debut in the Lonnie Coleman play Jolly's Progress (1959), followed by Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright (1962), Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights (1968), and The Corn Is Green (1983). At 88, she became the oldest winner for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in the revival of the Horton Foote play The Trip to Bountiful (2013).[11] She made her final Broadway appearance starring in the revival of The Gin Game (2016) opposite James Earl Jones.

  1. ^ a b "Petition for Naturalization". FamilySearch.org. U.S. District Court Naturalization Records, 1824–1946. July 31, 1935. Cecily, Dec. 18, 1924
  2. ^ a b c "United States Census, 1940; New York City, Manhattan, Assembly District 18". FamilySearch.org. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. April 3, 1940. Cecily Tyson, Female, 16, Single, Negro, Daughter
  3. ^ "'Stars of Tomorrow' Enroll for Contest". New York Amsterdam News. May 23, 1953. Close on her heels were Jean Johnson, a beautician of 435 W. 125th St., and Cecily Tyson, a fashion model, who lives at 311 E. 102nd St.
  4. ^ "Cicely Tyson, Towering Award-Winning Star of Stage and Screen, Dies at 96". Broadway.com. January 28, 2021. Cicely Louise Tyson was born on December 18, 1924 in New York City.
  5. ^ Elber, Lynn (January 23, 2020). "Cicely Tyson Talks Life, Longevity and Love". Chicago Tribune. p. 36. "She described her annual birthday eve ritual. 'I sit at a table with a clock and when it gets to one minute after 12, that's when I say, "Thank You," and "Happy Birthday, Cicely,"' said Tyson, who was born December 19, 1924 in New York City." See also:
    • Tyson, Cicely; Burford, Michelle (2021). Just as I Am: A Memoir. New York, NY: HarperCollins. pp. 16, 17, 368. ISBN 978-0-06-293106-1 "My parents began their married life together in a Bronx tenement before later relocating to Manhattan's East Side. The year after they wed, they welcomed my brother, Melrose, a name my father had loved since the day he spotted it on a street sign in the Bronx. Six days before Christmas in 1924, I arrived with my thumb poked in my mouth and nary a strand of hair." [...] "After we'd moved from the Bronx to the East Side, Daddy would put me in my stroller early in the mornings and walk me over to Central Park." [...] "During the press blitzkrieg surrounding the Kennedy Center ceremony, I spoke that number aloud with nary a quake in my voice. 'When were you born?' one reporter asked me. 'December 19, 1924,' I answered.'"
    • "Cicely Tyson, performer". Playbill Vault.
    • Palm, Anika Myers (January 29, 2021). "Cicely Tyson, iconic and influential actress, dies at 96" Archived October 21, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. CNN. "Tyson was born December 19, 1924, in New York to William and Theodosia Tyson."
    • Dillon, Nancy; Greene, Leonard (January 29, 2021). "Cicely Tyson Dies, 96; B'way, Hollywood star played strong women". New York Daily News. "Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem on December 19, 1924."
    • "Cicely Tyson Obituary". The Guardian. January 31, 2021. "Cicely Tyson, actor, born 19 December 1924; died 28 January 2021."
    • Tyson, Cicely (December 19, 2019). p. A8. "Thought of the Day".Kent County News. "Cicely Tyson, American actress, born on this day in 1924."
    • Democrat staff (December 19, 2018). "It's Your Birthday: Who's Celebrating Today". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 5B.
    • Record-Journal staff (December 19, 2017). "Today in History". Meriden Record-Journal. p. B6.
    • Times staff (December 19, 2016). "Birthdays". The Salisbury Daily Times. p .C6.
  6. ^ Brantley, Ben (April 23, 2013). "Home Is Where the Years Disappear". New York Times.
  7. ^ * Herald-Palladium staff (December 18, 1976). "What in the World: Birthdays (Sunday-Saturday)". The Herald-Palladium Family Weekend. p. 14.
  8. ^ Tyson, Cicely; Burford, Michelle (2021). Just as I Am: A Memoir. New York, NY: HarperCollins. pp. 47–53. ISBN 978-0-06-293106-1.
  9. ^ "Cicely Tyson". Britannica. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Melton, Lori (December 7, 2015). "Cicely Tyson: Legendary Portrait Of Beauty, Courage And Strength". CBS Sacramento. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  11. ^ "Cicely Tyson". National Women's History Museum. Retrieved November 11, 2024.


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