'Cicely was always on the side of something positive'

Hollywood actress Cicely Tyson has died aged 96, her manager has said.

Tyson was known for portraying strong African-American characters and became the first black woman to have the main role in the 1960s TV drama East Side/West Side.

Actor and director Mario Van Peebles, who worked with Tyson told BBC World News, she lived a big full life and had an elegance and a quiet nobility about her.

“She was one of those people who made you want to be your better self…” he said.

“She was always an example of what we could be on the set, she helped instil a climate of kindness on the set and I think right now particularly in America with the divisive politics you see, that climate of kindness that Cicely created will be missed in every way.”