Viola Davis, Tyler Perry and more honor Cicely Tyson on 96th birthday
'Another year in your truly magnificent life. You are a glorious gift,' Ava DuVernay says
Many celebrities took to social media to celebrate the life of Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson in honor of her 96th birthday on Saturday.
With a career spanning seven decades, Tyson is known for her notable performances in Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and The Help.
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Viola Davis, who starred alongside Tyson in The Help and the acclaimed television series How to Get Away with Murder, honored Tyson for her impact.
“There are certain people that come into this world and their lifeforce creates a powerful inspiring explosion. We get the overflow,” Davis tweeted. “I thank God for creating this beautiful, courageous, and bold being 96 years ago. Love you Ms. @IAmCicelyTyson!! Happy birthday.”
Director and producer Ava DuVernay, who worked with Tyson in her Oprah Winfrey Network series Cherish The Day, called the actress “a glorious gift.”
“Another year in your truly magnificent life. You are a glorious gift. I love you, adore you, and celebrate you today and everyday, @IAmCicelyTyson. Happy Birthday, Your Majesty!”
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Scandal actress Kerry Washington shared a photo of herself, Tyson, and Davis from a crossover episode, where she credited Tyson for paving the way for her and other black actresses.
“Your #BlackGirlMagic paved the way for ALL the Black Girl Magic in this photo. Love you so much Cicely Tyson. You are a queen, legend and a phenomenal human. Love you!!!!!!!! Happy birthday.”
Tyler Perry, meanwhile, tweeted, “What a blessing to have you as a friend, as family, and as a role model.”
Music legend Lenny Kravitz also paid tribute to his godmother with a photo of them embracing with the caption, “All I can do is thank God that we have been on this planet at the same time, and I have been so blessed to receive your love. The best is yet to come. I love you.”
Tyson is set to release her first memoir, entitled Just As I Am, on January 26 with Harper Collins Publishers.
“‘Just As I Am’ is my truth. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set aside. In these pages, I am indeed Cicely, the actress who has been blessed to grace the stage and screen for six decades. Yet I am also the church girl who once rarely spoke a word,” Tyson said in a statement.
“I am the teenager who sought solace in the verses of the old hymn for which this book is named. I am a daughter and mother, a sister, and a friend. I am an observer of human nature and the dreamer of audacious dreams. I am a woman who has hurt as immeasurably as I have loved, a child of God divinely guided by His hand. And here in my ninth decade, I am a woman who, at long last, has something meaningful to say.”
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