Tyson, Cicely (1933–)

Movie and television actress who has specialized in portraying strong, courageous African American women. Tyson's most memorable roles have been in television movies such as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), for which she received two Emmy awards; the miniseries Roots (1977); and The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994), which also won the actress an Emmy. Tyson's most notable film roles were in Sounder (1972), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991).

Cicely Tyson was born in New York on December 19, 1933, to devoutly religious parents, both of whom were immigrants from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Cicely grew up to be strikingly beautiful, and in her midteens, she was discovered by a fashion editor for Ebony magazine. By age twenty-two, Tyson had established herself as a top fashion model. In the mid-1950s, she began taking theatrical lessons and secured small parts in several off-Broadway productions. In 1963, she auditioned for and won a role on the CBS television series East Side/West Side, which ran for two seasons. Tyson's role was the first continuing dramatic portrayal of an African American character on American television.

Some minor film roles followed before Tyson landed a major role in the 1968 movie The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. As the 1970s approached, Tyson decided to portray only positive images of African American women on the screen—a choice that naturally restricted her options. Her next notable performance came in 1972, when she landed the role of a desperate Depression-era wife struggling to keep her family together in the movie Sounder. Tyson's performance impressed critics and audiences alike and earned her an Academy Award nomination for best actress.

During the mid-1970s, Tyson found her best and most endearing roles on the small screen. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), during which her character ages 100 years, won her two Emmy awards. In 1977, she played the mother of Kunta Kinte in the groundbreaking ABC miniseries Roots. The following year, she portrayed two heroic women on television—Coretta Scott King in King and Harriet Tubman in A Woman Called Moses. Her portrayal of an aged former slave in The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994) won her a third Emmy award.

For her consistent portrayal of strong, positive characters on screen and her personal example as a positive role model, Cicely Tyson has been honored by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Council of Negro Women.