Cicely Tyson, an award-winning actress, has died at age 96. Best known for her role in “Sounder”, for which she received an Oscar nomination, Tyson started her career as a model before gaining fame as an actress in the 1970s.
News of her death was announced by her family through manager Larry Thompson, according to Yahoo. In a statement, Thompson wrote, “With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy.”
Tyson was married twice and had one known child. She divorced her most recent husband, Miles Davis, in 1988.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. She Dedicated Her Memoir to Her Daughter
Little is known about Tyson’s personal life, and while some outlets report that she had no children, Tyson talks about a daughter, whom she calls “Joan”, in her memoir.
In the book, she delves into details about her daughter’s birth and childhood.
USA Today writes, “Tyson said she and her daughter ‘continue to work on our relationship, as fragile as it is precious,’ and she dedicates the book to her: ‘the one who has paid the greatest price for this gift to all.'”
At this time, Tyson’s cause of death has not been given.
2. She Was One of Three Children
Growing up, Tyson shared in an interview with Elle magazine that she never wanted to be an actress.
She shared, “I never thought of being an actress because as children there were three of us—I was the middle child—and we spent our time in church from Sunday morning to Saturday night. Any movies we saw were shown in our church on Thursday night, when they put up a bed sheet and got a projector. ”
She added that she was a shy child; still, she and her brother and her sister performed in the church often.
3. Her Mother Was Her Mentor
GettyCicely Tyson
In her interview with Elle, Tyson was asked– by Viola Davis, nonetheless, who was the interviewer– if she had a mentor she looked up to.
Tyson responded, “My mother, although she rejected that I was interested in acting. As a matter of fact, she asked me to move out of her house—I could not stay there and do that. I found a girlfriend who had a nine-to-five job: She worked at the telephone company, she wore the same size dress I wore, and she was willing to take me in. And that was it. My mom didn’t speak to me for about two years or so.”
Asked, as a follow-up, if her mother was ever proud of her, Tyson said, “Oh yeah, when she came to the opening of Sounder. And when I did Jane Pittman I was in California—she was still in New York—and I called her and said to her, ‘Well? You’ve got to give me something!’ She said, ‘I am so proud of you,’ and Viola, I have to tell you, if she had not been able to participate in the recognition and the acclaim that I have gotten over the years, I don’t think it would mean anything to me at all. She’s my source of energy, and I used that to prove her wrong.”
4. Her Relationship With Miles Davis Spanned Over Two Decades
GettyCicely Tyson speaks onstage at the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award honoring Denzel Washington at Dolby Theatre on June 06, 2019 in Hollywood, California.
Tyson’s memoir, “Just As I Am”, was published just on January 26, 2021.
In the book, she chronicles her childhood in New York, and her foray into the arts.
Speaking to the New York Times in 2013, the actress shared, “After witnessing certain things, after experiencing certain things in my career, I realized that I could not afford the luxury of just being an actress. There were certain issues I needed to address and I chose my career as my platform.”
She also discussed her marriage to jazz musician and trumpeter Miles Davis, which lasted over two decades. According to USA Today, the two connected in 1965 after meeting in Riverside Park. In the words of the outlet, however, “Davis’ struggles with addiction and infidelity ultimately drove them apart.”
In her memoir, Davis discusses her years of marriage to Davis, and how, shortly after they wed, he fell into a hole of drugs and adultery that ultimately led to divorce.
5. She Is the Godmother of Denzel Washington’s Daughter & Lenny Kravitz
Tyson, according to USA Today, is the godmother of rockstar Lenny Kravitz and Denzel Washington’s daughter, Katia.
She earned her best actress Oscar nomination after playing Rebecca Morgan in the Sounder. The performance awarded her the Governors Award. Upon receiving the accolade, Tyson shared, “I don’t know that I would cherish a better gift than this. This is the culmination of all those years of have and have-not.”
Most recently, the actress not only acted in The Help, but she played Viola Davis’ mother on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder— the latter earned her four Emmy nominations.
In 2016, Tyson took home the Presidential Medal of Freedom. While awarding Tyson the honor, President Obama said, “In her long and extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson has not only exceeded as an actor, she has shaped the course of history.”
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