Cicely Tyson

Cicely Tyson (born December 19, 1924, Harlem, New York, New York, U.S.—died January 28, 2021) was an American model and actress noted for her vivid portrayals of strong African American women.

Tyson’s birth year is generally believed to be 1924, though some sources give 1933. She was the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean island of Nevis, and she grew up in a devoutly religious household in Harlem. Discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony magazine, she quickly rose to the top of the modeling world. In 1957 she began acting in Off-Broadway productions, and the following decade she appeared in several short-lived Broadway shows. Tyson won minor roles in a few feature films before portraying Portia in the 1968 film version of Carson McCullers’s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.

Because she was committed to presenting only positive images of Black women, Tyson initially did not have steady work in film and television. Her next notable role was as Rebecca Morgan in the popular and critically acclaimed film Sounder (1972), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for best actress. In 1974 she appeared in perhaps her best-known role, that of the title character in the television drama The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, adapted from the eponymous novel by Ernest J. Gaines. Her performance as a 110-year-old woman whose life is depicted from slavery up through the civil rights movement of the 1960s won Tyson two Emmy Awards.

Tyson subsequently took on supporting roles in the television miniseries Roots (1977; based on Alex Haley’s book) and The Women of Brewster Place (1989; based on Gloria Naylor’s novel) before winning another Emmy for her performance in the TV movie Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994). She then starred as the title character in a 1998 television adaptation of Haley’s Mama Flora’s Family. In the 2010s she had recurring roles on House of Cards and How to Get Away with Murder. She also was a cast member of the series Cherish the Day, which debuted in 2020.

Tyson’s additional feature film credits included Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Hoodlum (1997), The Help (2011), and several popular movies directed by Tyler Perry. In 2013 she returned to Broadway, after nearly 30 years, to play the lead in a revival of Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful; her performance earned her a Tony Award. She also starred in the 2014 television adaptation of the play. In 2015–16 she appeared in the Broadway production of The Gin Game.

Apart from her acting career, Tyson was known for her relationship with jazz musician Miles Davis (married 1981–88). She was honoured by the Congress of Racial Equality, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the National Council of Negro Women. In 1977 she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. She was named a Kennedy Center honoree in 2015. The following year Tyson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2018 she received an honorary Academy Award. Tyson’s memoir, Just As I Am (written with Michelle Burford), was released days before her death in 2021.