Cicely Tyson, an Actress Who Shattered Stereotypes, Dies at 96
In a remarkable career of many decades, she refused to take parts that demeaned Black people and won a Tony, Emmys and an honorary Oscar.
Cicely Tyson in London in 1973. She was critical of films and television programs that cast Black characters as criminal, servile or immoral.Credit.Dennis Oulds/Central Press, via Getty Images
Published Jan. 28, 2021Updated Feb. 15, 2021
Cicely Tyson, the stage, screen and television actress whose vivid portrayals of strong African-American women shattered racial stereotypes in the dramatic arts of the 1970s, propelling her to stardom and fame as an exemplar for civil rights, died on Thursday. She was 96.
NEW YORK (AP) Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in “Sounder,” won a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” died Thursday at age 96.
Tyson s death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson, who did not immediately provide additional details.
“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” according to a statement issued through Thompson.
A onetime model, Tyson began her screen career with bit parts but gained fame in the early 1970s when Black women were finally starting to get starring roles. Tyson refused to take parts simply for the paycheck, remaining choosey.
Cicely Tyson, the iconic and incomparable screen and stage actress and Black American trailblazer, died on Thursday. She was 96. Tyson, whose acting career spanned more than six decades, broke ground as a Black actress who resolved only to portray strong, positive and realistic images of Black women on screen. Her convictions resulted in astonishing performances in projects such as the films "Sounder" and "The Help," the TV movie "The.
Cicely Tyson, purposeful and pioneering actress, dead at 96 By Associated Press | January 28, 2021 at 7:19 PM EST - Updated January 29 at 3:09 AM
NEW YORK (AP) â Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropperâs wife in âSounder,â won a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewersâ hearts in âThe Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,â died Thursday at age 96.
Tysonâs death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson, who did not immediately provide additional details.
âWith heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,â according to a statement issued through Thompson.
A onetime model, Tyson began her screen career with bit parts but gained fame in the early 1970s when Black women were finally starting to get starring roles. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in Sounder, a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.