Hollywood Icon and Groundbreaking Actress Cicely Tyson Dead at 96 – Breaking Entertainment News

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By Geoffrey Huchel

Beloved Emmy and Tony winning actress Cicely Tyson died January 28, 2021, at age 96. No cause of death has been disclosed.

In a career spanning more than seven decades in film and television, Tyson has appeared in various theater productions, including her off-Broadway performance in Moon on a Rainbow, in which she earned a Drama Desk Award in 1962, Her additional stage appearances include The Trip to Bountiful on Broadway, for which she won a Tony Award, the Outer Critics Award and the Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in 2013.

Tyson may be familiar to audiences for her notable work in SOUNDER (1972), THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JANE PITTMAN (1974), ROOTS (1977), WILMA (1977), KING (1978), A WOMAN CALLED MOSES (1978), FRIED GREEN TOMATOES (1991), OLDEST LIVING CONFEDERATE WIDOW TELLS ALL (1994), SWEET JUSTICE (1994-1995), MAMA FLORA’S FAMILY (1998), THE ROSA PARKS STORY (2002), DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN (2005), THE HELP (2011), THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL (2014), HOUSE OF CARDS (2013-2018), and HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (2014-2020). These projects showcased Tyson’s portrayal of strong women, which she has become known for.

Although all of Tyson’s performances showcase her brilliance in bringing a character to life on screen, there is one that always resonated with me. I remember being in middle school learning about Jane Pittman, a black woman who was born into slavery in the 1850s who lived to be a part of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Another great example of Tyson portraying a strong woman, and one that is very significant to American history. It was important to tell the story of Miss Pittman, not to just honor her bravery, but to educate, inspire and celebrate her life. Tyson’s poignant portrayal of Pittman earned her two well-deserved Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Drama and Actress of the Year.

Ringside Report sends our condolences to Cicely Tyson’s family during their time of grief.

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