Nollywood actresses Joke Silva and Regina Askia have mourned American actress Cicely Tyson.
Joke, 59, shared a picture of Cicely on Instagram on Friday.
“Rest well mamaa……..words cannot express how much of a loss we feel right now due to the passing of our great icon.
“Our grand mama….mother! Cicely Tyson…..what a legacy you have left for us all! Rest well in the bosom of your Father… beautiful brave bird. You never be forgotten,” she wrote.
Regina in an Instagram post wrote, “Cicely Tyson R.I.P.”
Cicely died on Thursday at the age of 96.
Her death was announced by her longtime manager, Larry Thompson, who did not provide any other details.
She has been described as the stage, screen and television actress, whose vivid portrayals of strong African-American women shattered racial stereotypes in the dramatic arts of the 1970s, propelling her to stardom and fame as an exemplar for civil rights.
In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
At 93, she won an honorary Oscar, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2018 and into the Television Hall of Fame in 2020. She also won a career achievement Peabody Award in 2020.
