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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
In Touch With ... Cicely Tyson
In the new Hallmark Original movie, Relative Stranger, Cicely Tyson is billed as “Miss” Cicely Tyson, something that she vocally wonders about. “I'm still trying to figure out what that means,” she says with a grin. “It surprised me. As a matter of fact, I commented on it, and I thought, Miss Cicely Tyson? Someone has to explain that to me. It's a first, I know that. I don't know how I feel (about being billed as) Miss. Well, my mother had a sister named Miss, and they called her a lady,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. “I have to find out who is responsible for that. It's fine. I'd rather they call me Miss Cicely Tyson than a few other names, thank you.” The legendary actress is full of grace and charm, and very soft-spoken. To be in her company is a thrill. Upon further examination into the history of billing, Barbara Stanwyck was billed as “Miss Barbara Stanwyck” when she starred in The Big Valley in 1965.
Being a legend in the industry might make her co-stars a little intimidated, to say the least. So this woman does everything to put the rest of the cast and crew at ease. “One of the things that I do when I walk on set is that I approach everything as if it never happened to me before. Of course, on this particular set, I was happy to see Eriq (La Salle) and Michael (Beach). I had worked with them both before. I did not know Michele (Michael Michele), and so I knew that my character Pearl had to connect with her in a way that the audience would feel that there was some deep bond between them.”
She recollects about filming this movie with Michele. “Our first scene together was on the first day. And in that moment, the both of us had to find that tie that would bind us together. And it happened in the process about us talking to each other during the scene rehearsal and outside of it so that we both got to understand each other.”
Cicely Tyson, Miss Cicely Tyson, or whatever her billing is, is a very classy woman who doesn’t take herself too seriously and has enjoyed her life. “Please know one thing. I don't think of myself as a great actress,” she says with all humility. “I think of myself as an actress in the progress of still learning her craft. And I learn every time I get a job, so just keep it coming, for what it's worth. And especially when I meet new people that I haven't worked with, it's a learning experience for me every time.”
Her memorable roles include Roots, King, A Woman Called Moses, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Fried Green Tomatoes, and The Rosa Parks Story. This remarkable woman has won several awards in her long and still active career, including the Emmy for the lead actress in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and one for supporting actress in Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. She was also nominated for the best performance in a leading role by an actress for her work in Sounder in 1973. And there is a long list of other nominations and awards.
Ms. Tyson is a star worthy of the word. She is a hard working actress with a good philosophy about life and a very sweet woman. It is a pleasure to talk with her. She is unassuming and manages to put you at ease within a few moments. Talk about class. This woman is it!
© 2009 Francine Brokaw
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