Curiosidades

She was married to Miles Davis by Andrew Young in the home of Bill Cosby. Bill Cosby was the best man, and gave away the bride.

Was the first-African American actress to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie for her performance in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974).

When Ms. Tyson won a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for "The Trip to Bountiful" in 2013, she became the oldest person ever to win an acting Tony.

In 1972, she and singer-actress Diana Ross were both nominated for "Best Actress in a Leading Role" Oscars for their performances in Lágrimas de Esperança (1972) and O Ocaso de uma Estrela (1972), respectively. This was only the second time in the history of the Academy Awards that African-American actresses were nominated in the "Best Actress" Oscar category. The first was Dorothy Dandridge's nomination for Carmen Jones (1954).

Was one of 11 African-American actresses to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. The others in chronological order are: Dorothy Dandridge, Diana Ross, Diahann Carroll, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Gabourey Sidibe, Viola Davis, Quvenzhané Wallis and Cynthia Erivo.

The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing & Fine Arts was named in her honor is located in East Orange, New Jersey. She visited the school frequently and, on occasion, taught a master class in acting.

Tyson won a judgment entitling her to full payment ($750,000) for her appearance in the short-lived 1983 Broadway play "The Corn Is Green". An Appeals Court upheld an earlier ruling handed down in 1996 in favor of Tyson. She was under contract to producer Elizabeth Taylor to act in stage and screen versions of the classic play. After critics panned the play, Tyson was fired for taking a night off to attend a tribute to her then-husband, the late jazz musician Miles Davis. The play closed after less than two weeks. Tyson maintained she should be paid as negotiated in her contract, even though the show closed early and a planned TV video of the production was never made.

Although she played Maya Angelou's daughter in Raízes (1977), she was more than three years older than her in real life.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on August 21, 1997.

Co-founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem with Arthur Mitchell.

Would only portray strong images of women.

Worked as a secretary and model while establishing herself as an actress.

Pictured on a $3.25 postage stamp issued by her parents' native island of Nevis on 1 January, 2014.

On November 23rd 2016, she was awarded the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama for her contribution to the arts and American culture,.

Was misreported as being a decade younger than she actually was until The New York Times found out her real age in 2013. The newspaper claimed Tyson was born in 1924 and that she did not dispute it when they checked with her before printing the date.

Inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1977.

Shrouded her age until late in life. For much of her career, she convincingly presented herself as 10-15 years younger than she was.

(September 6, 2018) Was announced as one of the recipients of this year's honorary Oscars by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She made history at the Governors Awards as the first black woman to receive an Oscar in the Honorary Award category.

George Cukor found her very difficult to work with on O Pássaro Azul (1976), subsequently describing her, diplomatically, as "greatly gifted, but not a comedienne".

Was offered the title role in Claudine (1974) but she turned it down as she didn't feel morally that she could play an unmarried mother of six falsely claiming welfare. Diahann Carroll, who received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead.

Was considered for the role of Mags in Jogos Vorazes: Em Chamas (2013), which went to Lynn Cohen.

Was an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Her memoir, Just As I Am, was published only two days before her death.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, by President Barack Obama, in a live televised ceremony held in the East Room of the White House, on November 22, 2016, along with twenty other recipients, the the largest, and final Medal of Freedom ceremony of Obama's presidency. At this ceremony, the twenty-one recipients, in alphabetical order, included: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elouise Cobell (posthumous award given to her son), Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Richard Garwin, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Frank Gehry, Margaret Hamilton (as Margaret E. Hamilton), Tom Hanks, Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (posthumous award given to her niece), Michael Jordan, Maya Lin, Lorne Michaels, Newton Minow, Eduardo Padron (as Eduardo Padrón), Robert Redford, Diana Ross, Vin Scully, Bruce Springsteen, and Cicely Tyson.

She was the Thursday night host for CBS Radio's "Sears Mystery Theater" (1979). She was still Thursday's host when it became "The Mutual Radio Theater" on Mutual Radio (1980).

Had a daughter in February 1943. This was kept secret until Tyson's memoir was published in January 2021. Choosing to keep her daughter's real name private, she refers to her in the book as "Joan".

Aunt of Cathy Tyson.

Separated from her first husband on June 18, 1944 after eighteen months of marriage. They didn't officially divorce for more than a dozen years.

Godmother of Lenny Kravitz.

Cicely Tyson was the longtime friend of Rosa Parks, and attended her funeral on November 2, 2005. Just before her death, Angela Bassett portrayed Parks in the television movie The Rosa Parks Story (2002), in which Tyson played Bassett's TV mother.

Was already 42 when her acting career took off.

Cicely was indeed asked about her daughter in the Feb 1981 issue of Ebony magazine. She was reluctant to discuss their relationship or her existence. As Cicely always made out that she was 15 years younger than she really was, revealing a 38-year-old daughter and possible grandkids in 1981 would have been too much for her career prospects back then to handle.

Attributed her longevity to a vegetarian diet.

Was 23 years older than O.J. Simpson, who played her husband in The Last Ten Yards (1969); 15 years older than Paul Winfield, who played her husband in Lágrimas de Esperança (1972), A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich (1977) and King (1978); and 13 years older than Morgan Freeman, who played her husband in The Marva Collins Story (1981). She was also 13 years older than Bill Cosby despite playing his love interest in Blind Date (1970).

In order for Cicely Tyson to take classes and get mentorship from Lloyd Richards, she had to go through Mann's acting workshop. At an initial meeting with Mann, Tyson recounted that he "rose from his desk and walked over to shut his door. I stood, as did every hair on my neck.".

She is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, the same cemetery where her siblings are buried.

Was only six years younger than Percy Rodrigues, who played her father in Por Que Tem Que Ser Assim? (1968).

She was of West Indian descent, of both of her parents, William Augustine Tyson and Fredericka Theodoshia (née Huggins) Tyson, who were both from Nevis.

Her birthday is reported variously as December 18th or 19th, a discrepancy of one day. William Augustine Tyson's naturalization petition listed it as the 18th, but it's argued that he was mistaken.

Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. (25 de fevereiro de 2020)

Cousin of Louis Farrakhan.

Was only 23 years younger than Louis Armstrong, who played her grandfather in Um Homem Chamado Adam (1966).

Graduated from Charles Evans Hughes High School in Manhattan.

Sister of Emily Tyson, and Melrose Tyson, Aunt of Maxine Grandison.

The second of three children.