Cicely Tyson, who solid a path for scores of Black actors on Broadway and in Hollywood, has died.
Tyson was a power in leisure for many years, however in her early years she had few function fashions as a result of there have been few folks of shade who have been on the high of the Hollywood sport.
She gained 2 Emmys for Lead Actress in 1974, for “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” The yr earlier than she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for the film “Sounder.”
Tyson began her profession as a mannequin in NYC. She was on the covers of Ebony, Jet, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. Still, her mother was none too happy, telling her she couldn’t stay within the household home if she pursued leisure. Her mother didn’t converse to her for a number of years.
Younger audiences would know Cicely from “The Help” and “Fried Green Tomatoes.”
She additionally made her mark on Broadway and gained a Tony for Best Actress in a Play in 2013’s “The Trip to Bountiful.” That made her the oldest recipient ever of a Best Actress Tony.
President Obama bestowed a Presidential Medal of Freedom award to Tyson in 2016, saying, “Cicely made a conscious decision not just to say lines, but to speak out. Cicely’s convictions and grace have helped for us to see the dignity of every beautiful member of the American family — and she’s just gorgeous.”
Earlier in her profession, Cicely starred in a play known as “The Blacks.” It was an off-Broadway play within the ’60s and a few of her co-stars have been Maya Angelou, James Earl Jones and Louis Gossett Jr.
Cicely was 96.
RIP