Cicely Tyson

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Cicely Tyson (born December 19 , 1933 ) is an award-winning African-American actress, who tried to shave 9 years off her age, claiming 1942 as her year of birth in the pre-Internet age. Her devoutly Christian parents came from the island of Nevis in the West Indies, but Cicely was born and raised in Harlem, New York . She was discovered by a photographer for Ebony magazine , and became a popular fashion model. Her first film was an uncredited role in Carib Gold in 1957, but she went on to do television - the celebrated series East Side/West Side and the long-running soap opera The Guiding Light .

In 1967, she appeared in The Comedians , and the following year, had a featured role in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter . In 1972 , she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the critically acclaimed Sounder .

In 1974 she won two Emmy Award s for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman . Other acclaimed television roles included Roots , King , in which she played Coretta Scott King , The Marva Collins Story , When No One Would Listen and Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (for which she won another Emmy). Currently, Tyson is is co-starring in the movies Because of Winn-Dixie and Diary of a Mad Black Woman .

Tyson co-founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem .

Tyson was married to legendary trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1988. She has mentioned a daughter but there is no evidence of her ever having had any children.

Filmography

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