Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in “Sounder,” a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88, and touched TV viewers’ hearts in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” passed away Thursday, January 28. She was 96.

According to Time Magazine, Tyson’s death was announced by her family via her manager Larry Thompson, who did not immediately provide additional details.

“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” Thompson said in a statement.

Over seven decades of her career, Tyson became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. 

After entering the limelight as a onetime model, Tyson began her screen career with bit parts but gained fame in the early 1970s when Black women were finally starting to get starring roles. She garnered widespread attention and critical acclaim for her performance as Rebecca Morgan in “Sounder” (1972).

Besides her Oscar nomination, she won two Emmys for playing the 110-year-old former slave in the 1974 television drama “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.”

Watch remembering Cicely Tyson by IMDb below.

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