CICELY TYSON BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Cicely Tyson  was born December 19, 1933 in Harlem, New York.  Her parents were Theodosia and William Tyson and they immigrated to the United States from the Island of Nevis in the West Indies. 

Tyson's career began when a photographer for a magazine called, Ebony Magazine discovered her and she began working as a fashion model.  She was absolutley gorgeous and it as very easy for her to become one of the top fashion models. 

In 1957, Tyson decided to try acting working on the stage in off Broadway Productions.  From there she was able to work her way into the film industry with her first uncredited film role being on, "Carib Gold" (1957). 

Television seemed to be more her nitch and she worked on the series, "East Side/West Side" and "Guiding Light" a Soap Opera. Tyson was in one very successful off Broadway play called, "The Blacks" (1961) which ran for 1408 performances. 

She did manage to get a couple decent film roles in her career such as working with Sammy Davis Jr. on, "A Man Called Adam" (1966) and she also starred in the film, "The Comedians" (1967).  Tyson was honored with an Adademy Award nomination for her role on, "Sounder" (1972).  Cicely was also nominated in 1972 for her role alongside Diana Ross for their performances in, "Lady Sings the Blues" which was only the second time in history of the Academy Awards that African American Actresses were nomintated in the Best Actress category.  

In 1974 Tyson became the first African American Actress to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie for her role in, "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" wherein she portrayed a 110 year old former slave. 

Tysons career was slow but steady.  She made it a point to only accept roles that portrayed a strong woman.  In 1994 she worked on a television series, "Sweet Justice" in which she was an African American attorney. 

Cicely Tyson currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia and was only married once to Miles Davis, a jazz musician, from November 26th, 1981 to 1988.  She is very involved in supporting a school called, The Cicely School of Performing and Fine Arts in East Orange, New Jersey which was named in her honor.  She was by far one of the most talented and beautiful African American actresses to ever have worked in the entertainment industry.   

 
Filmography

2010  Why Did I Get Married Too?
2009  Up from the Bottoms: The Search for the American Dream
2009  Relative Stranger
2009  Law and Order: SVU
2007  Rwanda Rising
2006  Madea's Family Reunion
2006  Idlewild
2006  Fat Rose and Squeaky
2005  Because of Winn-Dixie
2005  Diary of a Mad Black Woman
2005  Higglytown Heroes
2002  The Rosa Parks Story  
2001  The Double Dutch Divas!
2001  Jewel
2000  Touched by an Angel
2000  The Outer Limits
1999  A Lesson Before Dying
1999  Aftershock: Earthquake in New York
1998  Always Outnumbered
1998  Mama Flora's Family
1997  Bridge of Time 
1997  Riot
1997  Ms. Scrooge
1997  Hoodlum 
1996  The Road to Galveston
1994  Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
1994–1995 Sweet Justice
1993  House of Secrets  
1992  Duplicates 
1992  When No One Would Listen
1991  Clippers
1991  Fried Green Tomatoes
1990  The Kid Who Loved Christmas 
1990  B.L. Stryker
1990  Heat Wave
1989  The Women of Brewster Place
1986  Intimate Encounters 
1986  Acceptable Risks 
1986  Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story
1985  Playing with Fire
1982  Benny's Place
1981  The Marva Collins Story
1981  Bustin' Loose
1979  The Concorde ... Airport '79
1978  King
1978  A Woman Called Moses
1978  A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich 
1977  Roots
1977  Wilma 
1976  Just an Old Sweet Song
1976  The Blue Bird
1976  The River Niger 
1974  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
1974  Free to Be… You and Me
1972  Emergency!
1972  Wednesday Night Out
1972  Sounder   
1971  Insight
1971  Marriage: Year One
1971  Neighbors
1970  Gunsmoke
1970  Mission: Impossible
1970  The Bill Cosby Show
1970  Here Come the Brides 
1969  Medical Center
1969  The Courtship of Eddie's Father
1968–1969 The F.B.I.
1968  The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
1967  Cowboy in Africa
1967  The Comedians 
1967  Judd for the Defense
1966  Guiding Light
1966  A Man Called Adam
1965  Slattery's People
1965–1966 I Spy 
1963  Naked City
1963–1964 East Side/West Side 
1962  The Nurses
1959  Odds Against Tomorrow
1959  The Last Angry Man