Tyson is the first Black woman to win the Emmy award for lead actress |
Cisely Tyson, the pioneering African American model and
actress has died at age 96.
Her manager, Larry Thompson, confirmed her death in a statement that called working with her “a privilege and a blessing.”Cisely Tyson, the pioneering African American model and actress has died at age 96.
“I have managed Miss Tyson’s career for over 40 years, and
each year was a privilege and blessing,” Thompson said in a written statement.
Cicely Tyson, known for her portrayal of strong Black women
on screen, has passed away at the age of 96. Tyson's career of seven decades in
Hollywood included films like Sounder and The Help.
"With a heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson
announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow
the family their privacy," said Larry Thompson, the manager of Tyson. The
actor's death follows shortly after the publication of her memoir, "Just
as I am".
An unconventional actor who broke barriers
Tyson started her career with modeling, and made her film
debut in 1957 with a small role in the film, 'Twelve Angry Men'. In the 1960's
Hollywood saw a rise in films focused on the exploitation of Black people, but
Tyson repeatedly refused roles such as maids and prostitutes which she saw as
reinforcing negative stereotypes.
She returned to the big screen in 1972 with
"Sounder," earning her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Her
performance in the 1974 television film, "The Autobiography of Miss Jane
Pittman," led to multiple Emmy award nominations. She broke several
barriers for African-American women in Hollywood, receiving double Emmy awards
for best actress for her portrayal of Jane Pittman.
In 2016, Tyson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
the US's highest civilian honor. Two years later, she received the Academy
Honorary Award at the Oscars.
"I am very selective as I have been my whole career
about what i do. Unfortunately, I am not the kind of person who works only for
money. It has to have some real substance for me to do it," Tyson told the
Associated Press in 2013.
Tyson said that addressing issues like race and gender
stereotypes was a conscious component of her career choices. "I realized
very early on when I was asked certain questions or treated in a certain way
that I needed to use my career to address those issues," she told People
magazine in 2016.
Pauline Kael, film critic for the New Yorker, has described
Tyson as an actor who was "as tough-minded and honorable in her methods as
any we've got."
Tyson continued acting well into her late 80s, winning a
Tony award for her role in the play The Trip to Bountiful. She was married to
renowned jazz trumpeter Miles Davis late in his life, from 1981-88.
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