The family of Cicely Tyson has set an official public viewing for the late Hollywood icon, who died on Jan. 28 at the age of 96.
The viewing will take place on Feb. 15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City. COVID-19 protocols will be in place, with social distancing and mask-wearing enforced. Photography will not be permitted.
Tyson was an Emmy and Tony-winning actress with an illustrious list of credits in film, television and theater. She was known for her starring roles in the television series “Roots” as well as “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” and earned an Oscar nomination for her work in the 1972 film “Sounder.”
After Tyson’s death, tributes came rolling in from all over Hollywood. In a guest column for Variety, Tyson’s “Roots” co-star LeVar Burton remembered her as “one the most beautiful and talented women of her generation.”
“Elegance, style and natural grace oozed effortlessly from every pore of her being, but the word that describes her best in my mind is, regal. She was royalty with a capital “R.” She possessed a nobility of character and carriage that could, in equal turns, enchant and intimidate,” Burton wrote. “She knew exactly who she was and dared anyone to disagree with her self-assessment. She was vital, energetic and possessing of an irresistible magnetism that made folks of every stripe and station clamor to be in her midst. Her presence onscreen was nothing short of mesmerizing. Her unparalleled gift was the ability to imbue each character she portrayed with immense humanity which made them cherished and memorable to audiences around the world.”