Published 14:38 IST, January 29th 2021
Cicely Tyson passes away: A look at the star's best work; 'Sounder', 'The Help' & more
Cicely Tyson passes away after a long and illustrious career in the Hollywood film industry. Here's remembering some of her most outstanding performances.
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Actor Cicely Tyson passed away on Thursday. This occurred only two days after she published her memoir, Just As I Am. Larry Thompson, her manager of over 40 years, announced the actor’s death in a statement. “Cicely thought of her new memoir as a Christmas tree decorated with all the ornaments of her personal and professional life. Today she placed the last ornament, a Star, on top of the tree.” To honour the late star, here're some of Cicely Tyson's films and her most memorable roles.
Remembering Cicely Tyson's most memorable roles
Sounder (1972)
The 1972 hit was considered to be Tyson's breakthrough performance. She played the role of Rebecca Morgan, the matriarch of a family of Black croppers. The film got her a nomination in the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes for the category of Best Actress.
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
This film traces the life of Jane Pittman, from her youth to the end of the Civil war. This is the role that got Tyson her first Primetime Emmy. It also got her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress. She won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie and Actress of the Year for the role of Jane Pittman as well.
King (1979)
In the movie, King, Tyson played the role of Martin Luther King Jr’s wife, Coretta Scott King. Her character navigated the Civil Rights Movement alongside her husband. It was nominated for nine Emmy awards, one of which was a nomination for Cicely Tyson for the Best Actress category.
The Marva Collins Story (1981)
Tyson played the titular character in this part. Marva Collins was a real woman who had started up her own school, Westside Preparatory, among having other accolades under her belt. This role gained Tyson a nomination for the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a miniseries or TV movie.
The Help (2011)
Cicely Tyson played Constantine Bates, the maid of the central character Charlotte, in the movie. The film was widely acclaimed and received three Oscar nominations. The film won the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
How to Get Away With Murder (2015-2020)
In what would be the last of Tyson’s onscreen work, Viola Davis and Tyson created an explosion on screen. The show's creator, Peter Nowalk, told the Los Angeles Times that it was like they were in a mind meld, just as actors and as black women, 'who really understood Annalise'. He added that Cicely could feel the pain and secrets that Annalise had experienced as a child.
Tyson started her career at the age of 30 when she was noticed by a modelling agency. From there she went on to do some really powerful roles in Hollywood which got her a plethora of awards and nominations. Barrack Obama took to Twitter after the news of Cicely Tyson’s death. He said that she was one of the few actors whose work offscreen surpassed what she did onscreen. He further added that she has left her mark on the world.
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. pic.twitter.com/JRsL3zlKtP
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 29, 2021
Also read: Viola Davis Shares Snippets From Her "Woman King" Training; Fans Call Her An 'inspiration'
14:38 IST, January 29th 2021