Cicely Tyson
Biography
Cicely Tyson was an American actress who portrayed complex, strong-willed African American women over a seven-decade career. Born in the Bronx and raised in East Harlem, she studied acting under Lee Strasberg. Her first film role was a bit part in Carib Gold (1956), and she made her stage debut in Dark of the Moon in 1958. She gained critical acclaim as Rebecca Morgan in Sounder (1972), which brought her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress. On television, she broke barriers with a regular role on East Side West Side (1963 to 1964) and won Emmys for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) and Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994). She appeared in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). She also appeared in The Help (2011). On Broadway, she won a Tony for The Trip to Bountiful (2013), becoming the oldest winner of the Best Actress award. She also received an Honorary Academy Award.
96years old at death
- Born The Bronx
- Died New York City
- Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
- Cicely Louise Tyson (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 28
- Career span
- 53 years1967 to 2020
First and latest
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A first
Tyson made history in 1962 when she appeared on television in the United States wearing an Afro, the first African American woman to do so.
Behind the award
At the 67th Tony Awards on June 9, 2013, Tyson took home the Best Actress in a Play prize for playing Miss Carrie Watts in the Broadway revival of Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful. She was 88, the oldest winner of that Tony.
First role
Tyson's first acting job was a small part in the 1956 movie Carib Gold. In 1958 she took the stage for the first time at the Harlem YMCA, in Vinnette Carroll's Dark of the Moon.
A change of course
Tyson was found by a photographer who worked for Ebony magazine, and after that she went on to become a successful fashion model.
Beyond film
Tyson appeared in the original cast of Jean Genet's The Blacks as Stephanie Virtue Secret-Rose Diop, in a production that ran for 1,408 performances.
Cicely Tyson movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Tyler Perry directed three of these films. Tyler Perry appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Tyler Perry's page
James Earl Jones's page
Laurence Fishburne's page
Louis Gossett Jr.'s page
Elizabeth Taylor's page
Glynn Turman's page
Also two films together13 more actors
- Carol SuttonShowing Roots (2016) and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
- Vanessa WilliamsHoodlum (1997) and The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990)
- Paul WinfieldA Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich (1977) and Sounder (1972)
- Will GeerA Woman Called Moses (1978) and The Blue Bird (1976)
- Blair UnderwoodMadea's Family Reunion (2006) and Heat Wave (1990)
- Zakes MokaeThe River Niger (1976) and The Comedians (1967)
- Ben VereenIdlewild (2006) and The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990)
- Larry B. ScottA Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich (1977) and Wilma (1977)
- Robert HooksHeat Wave (1990) and A Woman Called Moses (1978)
- Jason BernardA Woman Called Moses (1978) and Wilma (1977)
- Charles WeldonA Woman Called Moses (1978) and The River Niger (1976)
- Kevin HooksA Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich (1977) and Sounder (1972)
- Shirley Jo FinneyWilma (1977) and The River Niger (1976)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Cicely Tyson's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$670 million
15 of the 28 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 28 films: 15 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 7 never in cinemas; 4 figure not found.
- 15Worldwide figure
- 2US gross only
- 7Never in cinemas
- 4Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 90% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$217M32.3% of the total
- 2$119M17.8% of the total
- 3$63M9.5% of the total
- 4$61M9.1% of the total
- 5$51M7.6% of the total
- 6$33M4.9% of the total
- 7$31M4.7% of the total
- 8$30M4.5% of the total
$64.8 millionfrom the other 7 films with a worldwide figure, 10% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1974 to 2020, six of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 2019 | Honorary Award | Honorary | |
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 1994 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All | Won |
| 1974 | 26th Primetime Emmy Awards | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | Won |
| 1974 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | Won |
| SAG Awards | |||
| 2011 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | The Help | Won |
| Tony Awards | |||
| 2013 | Best Actress in a Play | The Trip to Bountiful | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2020 | Peabody Awards | Won | |
| 2020 | Television Hall of Fame | Won | |
| 2017 | Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series | How to Get Away with Murder | Won |
| 2016 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | How to Get Away with Murder | Won |
| 2016 | Presidential Medal of Freedom | Won | |
| 2015 | Kennedy Center Honors | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.