- Cicely Tyson
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Cicely Tyson 
Tyson at The Heart Truth's Fashion Show in 2009Born December 19, 1933
New York City, New York,
United StatesOccupation Actress Years active 1957–present Spouse Miles Davis (1981-1988) Cicely Tyson (born December 19, 1933) is an American actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for her Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots.
Contents
Personal life
Tyson was born and raised in Harlem, New York, the daughter of Theodosia, a domestic, and William Tyson, a pushcart operator. Her parents were emigrants from the island of Nevis of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies;[1][2][3] Her father arrived in New York City at the age of 21 and was processed at Ellis Island on August 4, 1919.[4] Tyson married legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis on November 26, 1981. The ceremony was conducted by Atlanta mayor Andrew Young at the home of actor Bill Cosby. Tyson and Davis divorced in 1988. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. On May 17, 2009, Tyson received an honorary degree from Morehouse College, an all-male college.
Career
Tyson was discovered by a photographer for Ebony magazine and became a popular fashion model. Her first film was an uncredited role in Carib Gold in 1957, but she went on to do television such as the celebrated series East Side/West Side and the soap opera The Guiding Light. In 1961, Tyson appeared in the original cast of French playwright Jean Genet's The Blacks, the longest running off-Broadway non-musical of the decade, running for 1,408 performances. The original cast also featured James Earl Jones, Roscoe Lee Browne, Louis Gossett, Jr., Godfrey Cambridge, Maya Angelou and Charles Gordone. She appeared with Sammy Davis, Jr. in the film A Man Called Adam (1966) and starred in the film version of Graham Greene's The Comedians (1967). Tyson had a featured role in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968) and was in a segment of the movie Roots.
The handprints of Cicely Tyson in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
In 1972, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the critically acclaimed Sounder. In 1974, she won two Emmy Awards for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Other acclaimed television roles included Roots, King, in which she portrayed Coretta Scott King, The Marva Collins Story, When No One Would Listen and Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All for which she received her third Emmy Award.
In 1982, she was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.[5]
In her 1994-1995 television series Sweet Justice, Tyson portrayed a feisty, unorthodox Southern attorney named Carrie Grace Battle, a character she shaped by consulting with and shadowing the legendary Washington, D.C. civil rights and criminal defense lawyer Dovey Johnson Roundtree.
In 2005, Tyson co-starred in the movies Because of Winn-Dixie and Diary of a Mad Black Woman. The same year she was honored by Oprah Winfrey at her Legends Ball.
The Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts, a magnet school in East Orange, New Jersey, was renamed in her honor. She plays an active part in supporting the school, which serves one of New Jersey's most underprivileged African-American communities.
In 2011, Tyson appeared in her first music video in Willow Smith's 21st Century Girl.
Credits
Film
Year Title Role Notes 1959 Odds Against Tomorrow Jazz Club bartender 1959 The Last Angry Man Girl Left on Porch (uncredited) 1966 A Man Called Adam Claudia Ferguson 1967 The Comedians Marie Therese 1968 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Portia 1972 Sounder Rebecca Morgan Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
National Board of Review Award for Best Actress
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama1976 The Blue Bird Tylette, The Cat 1976 The River Niger Mattie Williams 1978 A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich Sweets 1978 King Coretta King 1979 The Concorde ... Airport '79 Elaine 1981 Bustin' Loose Vivian Perry 1991 Fried Green Tomatoes Sipsey 1997 Hoodlum Stephanie St. Clair Nominated — Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture2001 The Double Dutch Divas! Herself (short subject) (uncredited) 2005 Because of Winn-Dixie Gloria Dump 2005 Diary of a Mad Black Woman Myrtle NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated — BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Theatrical Film
Nominated — Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role2006 Madea's Family Reunion Myrtle 2006 Fat Rose and Squeaky Celine 2006 Idlewild Mother Hopkins 2007 Rwanda Rising Voice of Jeanette Nyirabagarwa (documentary) 2009 Up from the Bottoms: The Search for the American Dream Narrator (documentary) 2010 Why Did I Get Married Too? Ola 2011 The Help Constantine Bates Television
Year Title Role Notes 1951 Frontiers of Faith Tony Episode: "The Bitter Cup" 1962 The Nurses Betty Ann Warner Episode: "Frieda" 1963 Naked City Episode: "Howard Running Bear Is a Turtle" 1963–64 East Side/West Side (26 episodes) 1965 Slattery's People Sarah Brookman Episode: "Question: Who You Taking to the Main Event, Eddie?" 1965–66 I Spy Princess Amara
Vickie HarmonEpisode: "So Long, Patrick Henry"
Episode: "Trial by Treehouse"1966 Guiding Light Martha Frazier 1967 Cowboy in Africa Julie Anderson Episode: "Tomorrow on the Wind" 1967 Judd for the Defense Lucille Evans Episode: "Commitment" 1968–69 The F.B.I. Julie Harmon
Lainey HarberEpisode: "The Enemies"
Episode: "Silent Partners"1969 Medical Center Susan Wiley Episode: "The Last 10 Yards" 1969 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Betty Kelly Episode: "Guess Who's Coming for Lunch" 1970 Gunsmoke Rachel Biggs Episode: "The Scavengers" 1970 Mission: Impossible Alma Ross Episode: "Death Squad" 1970 The Bill Cosby Show Mildred Hermosa Episode: "Blind Date" 1970 Here Come the Brides Princess Lucenda Episode: "A Bride for Obie Brown" 1971 Insight Episode: "The Bird of the Mast" 1971 Marriage: Year One Emma Teasley (unsold pilot) 1971 Neighbors 1972 Emergency! Mrs. Johnson Episode: "Crash" 1972 Wednesday Night Out 1974 The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Jane Pittman Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Emmy Award for Actress of the Year - Special
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role1974 Free to Be… You and Me Herself 1976 Just an Old Sweet Song Priscilla Simmons 1977 Roots Binta Miniseries
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie1977 Wilma Blanche Rudolph 1978 King Coretta Scott King Miniseries
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie1978 A Woman Called Moses Harriet Ross Tubman 1981 The Marva Collins Story Marva Collins NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie1982 Benny's Place Odessa 1985 Playing with Fire Carol Phillips 1986 Intimate Encounters Dr. Claire Dalton 1986 Acceptable Risks Janet Framm 1986 Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story Muriel NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special 1989 The Women of Brewster Place Mrs. Browne 1990 The Kid Who Loved Christmas Etta 1990 B.L. Stryker Ruth Hastings Episode: "Winner Takes All" 1990 Heat Wave Ruthana Richardson CableACE Award for Actress in a Movie or Miniseries 1991 Clippers Donna Unsold pilot 1991 Fried Green Tomatoes Sipsey 1992 Duplicates Dr. Randolph 1992 When No One Would Listen Sarah 1993 House of Secrets Evangeline 1994 Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All Castralia, Marsden Family House Slave/Maid Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie1994–95 Sweet Justice Carrie Grace Battle Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series1996 The Road to Galveston Jordan Roosevelt NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Lone Star Film & Television Award for Best TV Actress
Nominated — CableACE Award for Actress in a Movie or Miniseries
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie1997 Bridge of Time Guardian 1997 Riot Maggie Segment: "Homecoming Day"
Nominated — CableACE Award for Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries1997 Ms. Scrooge Ms. Ebenita Scrooge 1998 Always Outnumbered Luvia 1998 Mama Flora's Family Mama Flora NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special 1999 A Lesson Before Dying Tante Lou Black Reel Award for Network/Cable - Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special1999 Aftershock: Earthquake in New York Emily Lincoln 2000 Touched by an Angel Abby Episode: "Living the Rest of My Life" 2000 The Outer Limits Justice Gretchen Parkhurst Episode: "Final Appeal" 2001 Jewel Cathedral 2002 The Rosa Parks Story Leona Edwards McCauley Black Reel Award for Network/Cable - Best Supporting Actress 2005 Higglytown Heroes Great Aunt Shirley Hero Episode: "Wayne's 100 Special Somethings" 2009 Relative Stranger Pearl Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie2009 Law and Order: SVU Ondine Burdett Episode "Hell" Theatre
Year Title Role Theatre 1957 Dark of the Moon[6] Little Theatre 1959 Jolly's Progress[7] Jolly (understudy) Longacre Theatre 1960 The Cool World[8] Girl Eugene O'Neill Theatre 1961 The Blacks: A Clown Show[6][9] Stephanie Virtue Diop St. Mark's Playhouse 1962 Moon on a Rainbow Shawl[6] East 11th Street Theater 1962 Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright[10] Celeste Chipley
Adelaide Smith (understudy)Booth Theatre 1963 The Blue Boy in Black[6][11] Joan Masque Theatre 1963 Trumpets of the Lord[6][12] Rev. Marion Alexander Astor Place Theatre 1966 A Hand Is on the Gate[13] Performer Longacre Theatre 1968 Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights[6][14] Myrna Jessup John Golden Theatre 1969 To Be Young, Gifted and Black[6][15] Various Cherry Lane Theatre 1969 Trumpets of the Lord[16] Rev. Marion Alexander Brooks Atkinson Theatre 1983 The Corn Is Green[17][18] Miss Moffat Lunt-Fontaine Theatre References
- ^ Cicely Tyson Biography (1933-)
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67858566.html
- ^ Klemesrud, Judy (1972-10-01). "Cicely, the Looker From 'Sounder'; Cicely, the Looker". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70612F73C5A137A93C3A9178BD95F468785F9. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ The Staue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
- ^ http://wif.org/past-recipients
- ^ a b c d e f g Harrison, Paul Carter; Andrews, Bert (1989). In the Shadow of the Great White Way: Images from the Black Theatre (First ed.). New York, New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.
- ^ "Jolly's Progress". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2803. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "The Cood World". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2097. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "The Blacks: A Clown Show". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet off-Broadway Database. http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=2814. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright". United States: Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2973. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "The Blue Boy in Black". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet off-Broadway Database. http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=4277. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "Trumpets of the Lord". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet off-Broadway Database. http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=4121. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "A Hand Is on the Gate". Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3284. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights". Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3126. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "To Be Young, Gifted and Black". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet off-Broadway Database. http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=3658. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "Trumpets of the Lord". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2865. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "The Corn Is Green". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=4232. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ "The Corn Is Green". New York, New York: Internet Theatre Database. http://www.theatredb.com/QShow.php?sid=s0992. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
External links
- Cicely Tyson at the Internet Broadway Database
- Cicely Tyson at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Cicely Tyson at the Internet Movie Database
- Cicely Tyson at the TCM Movie Database
- Cicely Tyson at Yahoo! Movies
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie (1952–1975) Judith Anderson (1954) · Mary Martin (1955) · Claire Trevor (1956) · Polly Bergen (1957) · Julie Harris (1959) · Ingrid Bergman (1960) · Judith Anderson (1961) · Julie Harris (1962) · Kim Stanley (1963) · Shelley Winters (1964) · Lynn Fontanne (1965) · Simone Signoret (1966) · Geraldine Page (1967) · Maureen Stapleton (1968) · Geraldine Page (1969) · Patty Duke (1970) · Lee Grant (1971) · Glenda Jackson (1972) · Cloris Leachman (1973) · Susan Hampshire / Cicely Tyson / Mildred Natwick (1974) · Katharine Hepburn / Jessica Walter (1975)
Complete List · (1952–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–2025) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Miniseries or a Movie (1979–2000) Esther Rolle (1979) · Mare Winningham (1980) · Jane Alexander (1981) · Penny Fuller (1982) · Jean Simmons (1983) · Roxana Zal (1984) · Kim Stanley (1985) · Colleen Dewhurst (1986) · Piper Laurie (1987) · Jane Seymour (1988) · Colleen Dewhurst (1989) · Eva Marie Saint (1990) · Ruby Dee (1991) · Amanda Plummer (1992) · Mary Tyler Moore (1993) · Cicely Tyson (1994) · Judy Davis / Shirley Knight (1995) · Greta Scacchi (1996) · Diana Rigg (1997) · Mare Winningham (1998) · Anne Bancroft (1999) · Vanessa Redgrave (2000)
Complete List · (1979–2000) · (2001–2025) Categories:- 1933 births
- Actors from New York City
- African American actors
- American film actors
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- Emmy Award winners
- Living people
- People from Harlem
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