Emmy and Tony-winning actress Cicely Tyson has died, according to a statement from her manager, Larry Thompson. She was 96 years old.
“I managed Miss. Tyson for over 40 years and each year has been a privilege and a blessing, ”said Thompson. “Cicely thought of her new memories as a Christmas tree decorated with all the ornaments of her personal and professional life. Today she placed the last ornament, a star, on the top of the tree. “
A star in theater, television and film, Tyson famously resisted the kind of Blaxploitation roles that Hollywood tried to force many actors of color in the 1970s.
She gained prominence in Jean Genet’s 1961 Off Broadway production Blacks. Many years later, she won a Tony for her role in a revival of The trip to Bountiful.
She was also known for playing Jane Foster in the 1960s TV drama East side / West side, which was the first recurring role for a black woman.
Tyson was also one of the founding members of the Dance Theater of Harlem in 1969.
Over the years, she has appeared in cinema and on TV; his notable TV appearances included titles like Brunette girl, brown stones in 1960 and Between yesterday and today. She also appeared in Naked city, Nurses, I spy, Slattery peopleand The Bill Cosby Show.
Tyson’s film debut was in 1957 with a small role in Twelve Angry Men. She followed up with 1959 Odds against tomorrow starring Harry Belafonte.
One of Tyson’s most prominent roles was in the 1972 drama Probe, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Many will also remember their appearances in TV movies MS. Jane Pittman (1974), the 1970s miniseries Roots, Wilma (1977), and King: the story of Martin Luther King (1978).
In the 2000s, Tyson was a prominent personality in Tyler Perry vehicles as Diary of a crazy black woman (2005), Madea family reunion (2006), and Why did I get married too? (2010). She also starred in 2011 The help, among other important secondary functions at the time, such as Alex Cross, Showing roots, Last flag flyingand A fall from grace.
In 2013, she won a Tony for Best Actress for her time as Carrie Watts in the revival of A trip to Bountiful.
She has also appeared on recent prestigious TV shows, such as House of cards and How to escape murder.
In her personal life, Tyson was married to the famous jazz musician Miles Davis from 1981 to 1988.
In 2018, Tyson was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. Two years later, she was chosen to be included in the Television Academy Hall of Fame.