Iconic and groundbreaking actress Cicely Tyson has died the age of 96.

“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” reads a statement from her manager, Larry Thompson.

Tyson got her start as a fashion model when she was discovered by a Ebony magazine photographer. After having small film and television roles, she gained mainstream recognition for her performance in the 1972 film Sounder, netting Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. She followed this up with her iconic performance in 1974’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, winning her first Emmy.

Other performances over the years include East Side/West Side, Roots, Fried Green Tomatoes, Hoodlum, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, The Help and many more. Having countless nominations for multiple awards, overall, she won three Primetime Emmy Awards a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Tony Award, a Peabody Award and also received an honorary Academy Award.

Tyson worked regularly over the past several years, including an acclaimed turn on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder (receiving multiple Emmy nominations) and a role on OWN’s Cherish the Day, where she made history again as the oldest series regular on a show in television history. She also recently released her first book, Just as I Am: A Memoir. 

More to come; this is a breaking news story.