Cicely Louise "Cicely" Tyson (December 19, 1924 - January 28, 2021) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She was celebrated for portraying complex and strong-willed African American women. Tyson received numerous awards, including three Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and a Tony Award, along with nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Cicely Tyson at the 2016 Peabody Awards
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Tyson grew up in a religious atmosphere, singing in the choir and attending prayer meetings at an Episcopal church in East Harlem. Her mother initially opposed her acting aspirations. Tyson was discovered by a photographer for Ebony magazine and became a successful fashion model.
In the early 1960s, Tyson appeared in the original cast of Jean Genet's "The Blacks." Spotted by producer David Susskind, she was cast in the CBS TV series "East Side/West Side" (1963-1964), playing the secretary of a social worker played by George C. Scott. At the time, she was the only African-American regular member of a TV cast. The show addressed social issues, and one episode about an African-American couple in Harlem was blacked out in Atlanta and Shreveport, Louisiana.
Breakthrough Roles and Critical Acclaim
Tyson garnered widespread attention for her role as Rebecca Morgan in the film "Sounder" (1972). 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. Critic Roger Ebert praised her performance, noting the subtleties in her portrayal of a mother facing adversity and her nuanced behavior toward the white power structure.
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In 1974, Tyson played the title role in the CBS television film "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." Tyson's portrayal of a centenarian black woman's life from slavery until her death before the Civil Rights Movement won her Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie and 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. Nikki Giovanni of The New York Times wrote of her performance, "If Cicely Tyson isn't one of the best actresses on screen, then "grits ain't groceries, eggs ain't poultry, and Mona Lisa was a man," adding, "Miss Tyson never stepped out of character."
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Television Roles and Accolades
Tyson's television roles included: 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.
Tyson was the first black woman to host Saturday Night Live.
Later Career and Broadway Success
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." At the 67th Tony Awards, on June 9, 2013, Tyson won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Miss Carrie Watts in the Broadway revival of the Horton Foote play "The Trip to Bountiful." In 2013, Tyson played a supporting role in the horror film "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia." Beginning in 2014, Tyson guest-starred on "How to Get Away with Murder" as Ophelia Harkness, the mother of 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, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Personal Life
At the age of 18, Tyson married Kenneth Franklin on December 27, 1942. They had a daughter two months later, in February 1943. According to her divorce decree, her husband abandoned her on June 18, 1944. Tyson began dating jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in the 1960s when he was in the process of divorcing dancer Frances Davis. Davis used a photo of Tyson for his 1967 album, "Sorcerer." Tyson and Davis rekindled their relationship in 1978. They were married on November 26, 1981, in a ceremony conducted by Atlanta mayor Andrew Young at the home of actor Bill Cosby.
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Cicely Tyson and Miles Davis
Tyson was an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She was a member of the Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York. She was a vegetarian. She was also a first cousin of Louis Farrakhan, a longtime leader of the Nation of Islam.
Honors and Awards
Cicely Tyson is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Honorary Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Tyson won three Primetime Emmy Awards for her work in television winning for, "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 her performance in "The Trip to Bountiful" in 2014. Tyson won her Honorary Academy Award in 2018 with the inscription reading, "Whose unforgettable performances and personal integrity have inspired generations of filmmakers, actors and audiences."
Tyson has also received various honors for her lifetime achievement as a groundbreaking artist. In 2015, she received a Kennedy Center Honor. In 2016 she was bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. In 2020, she received a Career Achievement Peabody Award. In 1977, Tyson was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. In 1980, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. In 1982, Tyson was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award. In 2005, Tyson was honored at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball. She was also honored by the Congress of Racial Equality, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the National Council of Negro Women.
Tyson was awarded the NAACP's 2010 Spingarn Medal for her contribution to the entertainment industry, her modeling career, and her support of civil rights. Tyson was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. She was awarded the United States' highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Barack Obama in November 2016. In September 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Tyson would receive an Academy Honorary Award. On November 18, 2018, Tyson became the first African-American woman to receive an honorary Oscar. In 2018, Tyson was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
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One of 12 soundstages was named after Tyson in her honor at Tyler Perry Studios.
| Award | Year | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actress | 1973 | Sounder | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie | 1974 | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | Won |
| BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role | 1975 | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Miniseries or a Movie | 1977 | Roots | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie | 1978 | King | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie | 1981 | The Marva Collins Story | Nominated |
| NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | 1982 | The Marva Collins Story | Won |
| NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | 1987 | Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story | Won |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | 1994 | Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All | Won |
| Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play | 2013 | The Trip to Bountiful | Won |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | 2015 | How to Get Away with Murder | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | 2017 | How to Get Away with Murder | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | 2018 | How to Get Away with Murder | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | 2019 | How to Get Away with Murder | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | 2020 | How to Get Away with Murder | Nominated |
| Academy Honorary Award | 2018 | Lifetime Achievement | Won |