With an acting career that spans six decades, the legendary Cicely Tyson is now set to be honored by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) with an official hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
The 93-year-old actress and activist has earned several honors over the course of her career, including being named a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree and a 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.
Ben Mankiewicz, TCM Primetime Host said, “To fully appreciate the magnitude of the impact Cicely Tyson has had, listen to Angela Bassett, currently starring in ‘Black Panther,’ list the women who’ve influenced her most profoundly. Bassett names Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan, two pioneering African American members of Congress, along with an actress – Cicely Tyson.”
He added: “For decades, Tyson has been at the forefront of a shift away from clichéd, stereotypical characters of color to playing multi-dimensional, strong Black women. Whether she’s playing a beleaguered mother-in-law on Broadway in ‘The Trip to Bountiful’ (and winning a Tony), or a woman who endures the Black experience in America from slavery to civil rights in ‘The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman’ (and winning an Emmy), or the proud and resilient matriarch of a depression era Louisiana family in ‘Sounder’ (and earning an Oscar nomination), Cicely Tyson has set a standard of excellence for actresses of all backgrounds on the stage and screen.”
If anyone deserves to have their legacy cemented in film history, it’s Cicely Tyson. Congratulations, Ms. Tyson!
The hand and footprint ceremony is set to take place on April 27.