The award-winning actress who trailblazed a career across several decades and appeared in countless TV shows, films and Broadway plays, died Thursday at age 96, according to her manager. Tyson's role as a sharecropper's wife in the film "Sounder" landed her an Oscar nomination in 1973.

"With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon," Tyson's family said in a statement from her manager. "At this time, please allow the family their privacy."

Tyson, who first entered the spotlight as a model, was well-known across the entertainment industry, earning two Emmy Awards — best lead actress in a drama and best actress in a special — for her role as a former slave in the 1974 TV drama "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." In a defining moment of the film, Pittman walks up and drinks from the whites-only water fountain.

At age 96, Tyson was asked by King what it's like to be considered a legend.

"I'm amazed every single day I live," she said. "I mean, what my life became is not what I expected ... I had no idea that I would touch anybody."

When King asked Tyson: "When the time comes, what do you want us to remember about you?"

She replied: "I done my best. That's all."

May her soul rest in peace.