Cathy Tyson
Encyclopedia
Catherine "Cathy" Tyson (born 12 June 1965 in Kingston-upon-Thames, London) is an English
stage, film and television actress.
barrister
father and an English
social worker mother, Tyson and her family moved to Liverpool when she was approximately two years old.
, before joining the RSC
in 1984.
Tyson's film debut was in Mona Lisa
(1986) as Simone, an elegant mixed-race prostitute. Probably her best-known television appearance was also as a prostitute, Carol Johnson, in the ITV
series Band of Gold.
In 2007 Tyson joined the cast of two long-running television series. She played deputy headmistress Miss Gayle in the BBC One
school drama Grange Hill
, and featured in the popular ITV
soap opera Emmerdale
as single mother Andrea Hayworth.
Tyson played Herodia
in BBC Three
's Liverpool Nativity, a modern adaptation of the traditional Christmas story. Recorded as a live event in Liverpool city centre on 16 December 2007, it was broadcast several times over the Christmas period and repeated the following year.
In September 2009, Cathy Tyson enrolled into the adult learning centre City Lit
to study 'Creative Studies'.
Charity work
Tyson hosted a charity event for The Sick Children's Trust
on 17 November 2007, and again on 1 November 2008. The event, organised by Friends of Eckersley House, a committee supporting the charity's Leeds
house, was held at the Haven Golden Sands resort in Mablethorpe
, Lincolnshire
. She is also one of the Honorary Patrons of the London children's charity Scene & Heard
.
. She lives in Tufnell Park
, North London
. She is the niece of actress Cicely Tyson
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
stage, film and television actress.
Early life
The daughter of a TrinidadianTrinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
father and an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
social worker mother, Tyson and her family moved to Liverpool when she was approximately two years old.
Career
Tyson attended the Everyman Youth Theatre in her teens. She dropped out of college at 17 to pursue an acting career at Liverpool's Everyman TheatreEveryman Theatre
The Everyman Theatre stands at the north end of Hope Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. Established in 1964 in a former cinema, it encouraged local talent and played a part in the development of new artistes and writers. The theatre was rebuilt between 1975 and 1977, and was closed again for...
, before joining the RSC
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
in 1984.
Tyson's film debut was in Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa (film)
Mona Lisa is a 1986 British film about a petty criminal who becomes entangled in the dangerous life of a high-class call girl. The movie was written by Neil Jordan and David Leland, and directed by Jordan. It was produced by George Harrison's HandMade Films...
(1986) as Simone, an elegant mixed-race prostitute. Probably her best-known television appearance was also as a prostitute, Carol Johnson, in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series Band of Gold.
In 2007 Tyson joined the cast of two long-running television series. She played deputy headmistress Miss Gayle in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
school drama Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
, and featured in the popular ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
as single mother Andrea Hayworth.
Tyson played Herodia
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
in BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
's Liverpool Nativity, a modern adaptation of the traditional Christmas story. Recorded as a live event in Liverpool city centre on 16 December 2007, it was broadcast several times over the Christmas period and repeated the following year.
In September 2009, Cathy Tyson enrolled into the adult learning centre City Lit
City Lit
City Literary Institute is an adult education college based in central London, offering 3,000 part-time courses. It was established in 1919, with the purpose of educating London's workforce after the war...
to study 'Creative Studies'.
Charity work
Tyson hosted a charity event for The Sick Children's Trust
The Sick Children's Trust
The Sick Children's Trust is a national charity in the United Kingdom, founded in 1982, providing 'Home from Home' accommodation at hospitals around the United Kingdom. The charity currently has seven houses, in London, Leeds, Cambridge, Sheffield and Newcastle upon Tyne...
on 17 November 2007, and again on 1 November 2008. The event, organised by Friends of Eckersley House, a committee supporting the charity's Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
house, was held at the Haven Golden Sands resort in Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe is a small seaside town in East Lindsey on the coast of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Several small caravan parks exist around Mablethorpe. The town is administered with Sutton-on-Sea and Trusthorpe, as the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. She is also one of the Honorary Patrons of the London children's charity Scene & Heard
Scene & Heard
Scene & Heard, is a British registered charity which operates as a mentoring project for inner-city children in Somers Town, London.Much of the charity's work involves teaming children with a volunteer theatre professional to write short plays, which are performed by professional actors in front of...
.
Personal life
Tyson has one child — Jack, born May 1988 — from her marriage to actor and comedian Craig CharlesCraig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
. She lives in Tufnell Park
Tufnell Park
Tufnell Park is an area of north London, England which straddles the border of the London Borough of Islington and the London Borough of Camden.-Origins:...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. She is the niece of actress Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson is an American actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for her Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots....
.