Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in Sounder, won a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, died Thursday at age 96.
Tyson’s death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson. “With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” according to a statement issued through Thompson.
Former US President Obama took to Twitter to mourne Tyson’s demise. His tweet reads, "In her extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson was one of the rare award-winning actors whose work on the screen was surpassed only by what she was able to accomplish off of it. She had a heart unlike any other—and for 96 years, she left a mark on the world that few will ever match."
Tyson began her screen career with bit parts but gained fame in the early 1970s when Black women were finally starting to get starring roles. She refused to take parts simply for the paycheck, remaining choosey.Tyson was nominated in the Best Actress category at both the Oscars and Golden Globe Awards, for her performance in 1972 film Sounder. She is known to have portrayed numerous iconic roles in Hollywood films, be it that of former slaves or civil rights icons.
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