Cicely Tyson's Net Worth: How Much Was The Actress Worth When She Died?

Cicely Tyson died on Jan. 28, 2021, at the age of 96, per People. Her longtime manager, Larry Thompson, wrote in a statement (via People): "I have managed Miss Tyson's career for over 40 years, and each year was a privilege and blessing." He continued, "Cicely thought of her new memoir [Just As I Am] as a Christmas tree decorated with all the ornaments of her personal and professional life. Today she placed the last ornament, a Star, on top of the tree."

Tyson booked her first gig back in the 1950s, and she "never retired from the entertainment industry", per People. The actress' collection of awards speak for themselves. Over the course of her career, she received three Emmys, an Academy Award nomination and she later became the first Black woman to win an honorary Oscar, per The New York Times. She was also lauded for her work on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for her role in The Trip to Bountiful in 2013. Perhaps one of her highest honors was receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama in 2016.

In addition to breaking barriers and building a lasting legacy, Tyson also brought in quite a bit of money over her decades-long career.

Given her dedication to her craft and admirable work ethic, Cicely Tyson certainly wasn't going to let her career end on her watch. In fact, her autobiography, Just As I Am, was released on Jan. 26, 2021, just two days before her death. 

Tyson started her career as a model after being discovered by an editor at Ebony magazine, per CNN. She had roles on Broadway and on TV shows throughout the 60s, but it was in 1972 that the actress got her big break in the movie Sounder. A role in the television movie The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman won her two Emmy Awards. She later won a third for her role in Oldest Confederate Woman Widow Tells All, and picked up two more nominations for roles in Roots and Kings, per People.

Tyson continued to act throughout the 2010s, portraying strong Black women in The Help and in How to Get Away with Murder alongside fellow actress Viola Davis. She also took on a few Tyler Perry movies, including Madea's Family Reunion and Diary of a Mad Black Woman. She was also awarded the Peabody Career Achievement Award by Oprah Winfrey, who thanked her for "paving the way for [her] and every other Black woman who dared to have a career in entertainment" (via The Hollywood Reporter). 

According to Celebrity Net Worth, her storied career earned her a net worth of $10 million, but it's her influence on those in the entertainment industry and beyond that's truly invaluable.