Cicely Tyson
Birthday: 1924-12-19 | Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USACicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York City, where she was raised by her devoutly religious parents, from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Her mother, Theodosia, was a domestic, and her father, William Tyson, was a carpenter and painter. She was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony magazine and, with her stunning looks, she quickly rose to the top of the modeling industry. In 1957, she began acting in Off-Broadway productions. She had small roles in feature films before she was cast as Portia in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968). Four years later, Cicely was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational performance in the critically acclaimed film Sounder (1972). In 1974, she went on to portray a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), which earned her two Emmy Awards. She also appeared in the television miniseries Roots (1977), King (1978) and A Woman Called Moses (1978). While Cicely has not appeared steadily onscreen because of her loyalty to only portray strong, positive images of Black women, she is without a doubt one of the most talented, beautiful actresses to have ever graced the stage and screen.
Known For
Acting
Role
as Self (archival footage)
as Alice
as Hattie
as Mrs. Watts
as Mama Kay
as Nana Mama
as Constantine Jefferson
as Ola
as Pearl
as Mother Hopkins
as Myrtle
as Gloria Dump
as Myrtle
as Leona Edwards McCauley
as Emily Lincoln
as Emily Lincoln
as Tante Lou
as Luvia
as Mama Flora
as Ms. Ebenita Scrooge
as Stephanie St. Clair
as Castralia
as Sipsey
as Etta Mercer
as Ruthana Richardson
as Vivian Perry
