Cicely Tyson, a legendary film, television and stage actress known for “Sounder” and other roles, died Thursday at the age of 96, her family said.
“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon,” her manager, Larry Thompson, said in a statement. “At this time, please allow the family their privacy.”
A cause of death was not immediately given.
Tyson was born and raised in Harlem and was first discovered as a model for Ebony Magazine. She began her screen career with bit parts but gained fame in the early 1970s when Black women were finally starting to get starring roles.
Tyson also won two Emmy awards for “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.”
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The Associated Press contributed.