Cicely Tyson
Highest Rated: 100% The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)
Lowest Rated: Not Available
Birthday: Dec 19, 1924
Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
Throughout her five-plus decade career on stage and screen, Cicely Tyson was known for her dedication to truthfully exploring the broad spectrum of the African-American experience. Tyson was at the forefront of a shift away from one-dimensional, negative screen stereotypes of black women with her starring role in "Sounder" (1972), which was groundbreaking in its portrayal of the dignity, strength and courage of a Depression-era African-American family. The acclaimed film and Tyson's Oscar-nominated leading role opened the doors for a whole new era of black storytelling, and Tyson came to represent this strong and wise image of African-American women with revered performances in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" (CBS, 1973) and "Roots" (ABC, 1977). Television movies offered the most opportunities for this actress with a mission, and she went on to recreate renowned moments and figures in African-American heritage in "King" (1978), "A Woman Called Moses" (1978), and "Heat Wave" (1990), among others. Whether playing an educated professional, the backbone of a challenged family, or a woman moved by an extraordinary sense of purpose, Tyson continually raised the standards of African-American imagery on film.
Photos
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
15% | 50% | Tyler Perry's A Fall From Grace | Alice (Character) | - | 2020 |
76% | 72% | Last Flag Flying | Mrs. Hightower (Character) | $960.3K | 2017 |
No Score Yet | 40% | Showing Roots | Hattie (Character) | - | 2016 |
96% | 88% | Maya Angelou and Still I Rise | Self | - | 2016 |
No Score Yet | 59% | The Trip to Bountiful |
Carrie Watts (Character), Producer |
- | 2014 |
19% | 44% | The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia | Mama Kay (Character) | - | 2013 |
11% | 47% | Alex Cross | Nana Mama (Character) | $25.9M | 2012 |
76% | 89% | The Help | Constantine (Character) | $169.7M | 2011 |
27% | 68% | Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? | Ola (Character) | $60.1M | 2010 |
No Score Yet | 43% | Relative Stranger | Pearl (Character) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Up From the Bottoms: The Search for the American Dream | Narrator | - | 2009 |
47% | 66% | Idlewild | Mother Hopkins (Character) | $12.5M | 2006 |
26% | 93% | Madea's Family Reunion | Myrtle (Character) | $63.2M | 2006 |
No Score Yet | 67% | Fat Rose and Squeaky | Unknown (Character) | - | 2006 |
16% | 86% | Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Myrtle (Character) | $50.4M | 2005 |
55% | 63% | Because of Winn-Dixie | Gloria Dump (Character) | $32.6M | 2005 |
No Score Yet | 75% | The Rosa Parks Story | Leona Edwards McCauley (Character) | - | 2002 |
No Score Yet | 55% | Jewel | Cathedral (Character) | - | 2001 |
80% | 77% | A Lesson Before Dying | Tante Lou (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Mama Flora's Family | Unknown (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet | 81% | Always Outnumbered | Luvia (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | 75% | Riot | Maggie (Character) | - | 1997 |
43% | 65% | Hoodlum | Stephanie St. Clair (Character) | $23.5M | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Price of Heaven | Vesta Lotte Battle (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | 62% | Ms. Scrooge | Ms. Ebenita Scrooge (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bridge of Time | Guardian (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Road to Galveston | Jordan Roosevelt (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | House of Secrets | Evangeline (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Duplicates | Dr. Randolph (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | When No One Would Listen | Sarah (Character) | - | 1992 |
76% | 88% | Fried Green Tomatoes | Sipsey (Character) | $81.2M | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Heat Wave | Ruthana Richardson (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | B.L. Stryker: Winner Takes All | Ruth Hastings (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Kid Who Loved Christmas | Etta (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | B.L. Stryker | Ruth Hastings (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | 94% | The Women of Brewster Place | Unknown (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story | Muriel (Character) | - | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Intimate Encounters | Dr. Claire Dalton (Character) | - | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Acceptable Risks | Janet Framm (Character) | - | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Playing With Fire | Carol Phillips (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Benny's Place | Odessa (Character) | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet | 100% | The Marva Collins Story | Marva Collins (Character) | - | 1981 |
60% | 61% | Bustin' Loose | Vivian Perry (Character) | - | 1981 |
25% | 13% | The Concorde: Airport '79 | Elaine (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet | 83% | A Woman Called Moses | Harriet Ross Tubman (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | 71% | King | Coretta Scott King (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | 40% | Wilma | Blanche Rudolph (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | 67% | A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich | Sweets (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich | Sweets (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | 44% | The River Niger | Mattie Williams (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Just an Old Sweet Song | Priscilla Simmons (Character) | - | 1976 |
0% | 43% | The Blue Bird | Tylette (Character) | - | 1976 |
90% | 86% | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | Jane Pittman (Character) | - | 1974 |
91% | 77% | Sounder | Rebecca Morgan (Character) | - | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Neighbors | Unknown (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Marriage: Year One | Emma Teasley (Character) | - | 1971 |
100% | 85% | The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter | Portia (Character) | - | 1968 |
27% | 47% | The Comedians | Marie Therese (Character) | - | 1967 |
38% | 59% | A Man Called Adam | Unknown (Character) | - | 1966 |
88% | 84% | Odds Against Tomorrow | Jazz Club Bartender (Character) | - | 1959 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
88% | 85% | How to Get Away With Murder | Ophelia (Guest Star) | 2015 2020 |
78% | 96% | Cherish the Day | Miss Luma Lee Langston (Character) | 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2020 |
No Score Yet | 79% | Madam Secretary | Flo Avery (Guest Star) | 2019 |
77% | 76% | House of Cards | Doris Jones (Guest Star) | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tavis Smiley | Guest | 2014-2015 |
78% | 81% | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Ondine Burdett (Guest Star) | 2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Outer Limits | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Touched by an Angel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Aftershock: Earthquake in New York | Unknown (Character) | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sweet Justice | Unknown (Character) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All | Unknown (Character) | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Women of Brewster Place | Unknown (Character) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | 58% | Saturday Night Live | Host | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Woman Called Moses | Harriet Ross Tubman (Character) | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | King | Unknown (Character) | 1978 |
76% | 68% | Roots | Binta (Character) | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | What's My Line? | Guest | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunsmoke | Rachel Biggs (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mission: Impossible | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bill Cosby Show | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Here Come the Brides | Princess Lucenda (Guest Star) | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Courtship of Eddie's Father | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The FBI | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968-1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Medical Center | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Judd for the Defense | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | I Spy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965-1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | East Side/West Side | Jane Foster (Character) | 1963-1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Naked City | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1963 |