Just a day before the world discovered that it had lost another legend, the great Cicely Tyson gave her final interview at Live With Kelly and Ryan. Promoting your new memoir, Just as I am, the actress told stories of her early days and moments of greatest pride. As a baby, she says, a stranger told the mother that she had a “sixth sense” and that “one day it will make you very proud”. “I never thought I would be nominated for an Oscar, but I used to attend the event every year,” she told the hosts. “One night, I watched and said, ‘I’m going to sit in the front row one day.’ And I ended up doing it for the role of Rebecca in Probe. ”Tyson made his career portraying black women with strength and humanity in films like Miss Jane Pittman’s autobiography and programs like How to escape murder. “Throughout my career I was an actress who was never paid because I never worked for money,” she explained. “I worked because there were certain issues that I would like to be addressed about me and my race as a black woman.”
Cicely Tyson died Thursday, January 28, at age 96. His life of achievement includes a tribute to the Kennedy Center, a presidential medal of freedom, three Primetime Emmy, a Tony, an Oscar and inspiring a generation of black actors. See your final interview above.