Angela Lansbury, iconic actress from ‘Murder, She Wrote’ dies peacefully at 96
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We are terribly saddened to announce that one of the most beloved actresses in the world, Angela Lansbury, passed away early morning on Tuesday, October 11, 2022. She was 96.
Lansbury's children confirmed the news in a statement to PEOPLE magazine, saying she passed away ‘peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles’ early Tuesday morning.
‘In addition to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, she is survived by three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great-grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury,’ the statement added.
‘She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Peter Shaw. A private family ceremony will be held at a date to be determined.’
Lansbury’s career spanned well beyond seven decades and was most known for her Broadway performances in classic plays like Mame and Sweeney Todd, for which she won five Tony Awards.
Angela Lansbury’s family confirmed that she passed peacefully at age 96. Credit: Getty Images.
Born and raised in London, she found success as an actress on both the West End and Broadway throughout her early career. During World War II, she helped entertain American troops in Europe as a member of the Entertainments National Service League.
Her first film role was in the 1944 suspense thriller Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, which gained critical acclaim and was nominated for several Academy Awards – of which one was for Lansbury’s performance, who played a young maid. Her second nomination would come the following year, when she portrayed the tragic heroine, Sibyl Vane, in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
During her time on Murder, She Wrote, she also received three of her four Golden Globe nominations. From 1984 to 1996, she starred as mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, solving murders in an idyllic small-town holiday neighbourhood with her police detective nephew, Harry.
She was also the voice of Mrs Potts, the castle’s teapot and close confidant of the ever-imposing Disney favourite, the Beast, in Beauty and the Beast.
For her television contribution, Lansbury showed off a versatile skill set by receiving an impressive 18 Emmy nominations, 12 of which were for her iconic performance for Murder, She Wrote, in which she starred from 1984. Strangely, she never took out a win.
Lansbury had a 7-decade career in acting. Credit: news.com.au.
However, she never took home a win, shocking no one more than herself. She also had a recurring role in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace as the title characters’ special family friend, which earned her three additional Emmy nominations.
In the interview for Mathew Stylborn’s Masterpiece Studio podcast series, Lansbury opened up about how it all started with her mother, who recognised her talent for performing and encouraged her to pursue her career, even at a very young age.
‘It was thanks to my mother who recognised in me an ability to cut up, to make believe, to run around being somebody other than the little girl that I was,’ said Lansbury.
‘It made her realise that I was a 'natural', and she, bless her heart, made the decisions for me very, very, very young.’
The celebrated actress had been quite active till the very end of her life, appearing in a number of late-night talk shows and interviews. She also made an appearance at the Tony Awards in June this year, in which she won a Lifetime Achievement Award, the sixth Tony of her career.
Celebrities are often larger than life, and their deaths can be especially hard to grapple with. We see them as larger than life because they are constantly in the public eye and we feel like we know them, even though we don't.
It's always saddening when a beloved celebrity dies. We grow attached to them through their work and their public persona, and their death is a loss to us all. They make us laugh, cry, and think, and their deaths can leave us feeling empty.
What's your favourite Angela Lansbury film? Better yet, are you a fan of the renowned actress?
Lansbury's children confirmed the news in a statement to PEOPLE magazine, saying she passed away ‘peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles’ early Tuesday morning.
‘In addition to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, she is survived by three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great-grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury,’ the statement added.
‘She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Peter Shaw. A private family ceremony will be held at a date to be determined.’
Lansbury’s career spanned well beyond seven decades and was most known for her Broadway performances in classic plays like Mame and Sweeney Todd, for which she won five Tony Awards.
Angela Lansbury’s family confirmed that she passed peacefully at age 96. Credit: Getty Images.
Born and raised in London, she found success as an actress on both the West End and Broadway throughout her early career. During World War II, she helped entertain American troops in Europe as a member of the Entertainments National Service League.
Her first film role was in the 1944 suspense thriller Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, which gained critical acclaim and was nominated for several Academy Awards – of which one was for Lansbury’s performance, who played a young maid. Her second nomination would come the following year, when she portrayed the tragic heroine, Sibyl Vane, in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
During her time on Murder, She Wrote, she also received three of her four Golden Globe nominations. From 1984 to 1996, she starred as mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, solving murders in an idyllic small-town holiday neighbourhood with her police detective nephew, Harry.
She was also the voice of Mrs Potts, the castle’s teapot and close confidant of the ever-imposing Disney favourite, the Beast, in Beauty and the Beast.
For her television contribution, Lansbury showed off a versatile skill set by receiving an impressive 18 Emmy nominations, 12 of which were for her iconic performance for Murder, She Wrote, in which she starred from 1984. Strangely, she never took out a win.
Lansbury had a 7-decade career in acting. Credit: news.com.au.
However, she never took home a win, shocking no one more than herself. She also had a recurring role in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace as the title characters’ special family friend, which earned her three additional Emmy nominations.
In the interview for Mathew Stylborn’s Masterpiece Studio podcast series, Lansbury opened up about how it all started with her mother, who recognised her talent for performing and encouraged her to pursue her career, even at a very young age.
‘It was thanks to my mother who recognised in me an ability to cut up, to make believe, to run around being somebody other than the little girl that I was,’ said Lansbury.
‘It made her realise that I was a 'natural', and she, bless her heart, made the decisions for me very, very, very young.’
The celebrated actress had been quite active till the very end of her life, appearing in a number of late-night talk shows and interviews. She also made an appearance at the Tony Awards in June this year, in which she won a Lifetime Achievement Award, the sixth Tony of her career.
Celebrities are often larger than life, and their deaths can be especially hard to grapple with. We see them as larger than life because they are constantly in the public eye and we feel like we know them, even though we don't.
It's always saddening when a beloved celebrity dies. We grow attached to them through their work and their public persona, and their death is a loss to us all. They make us laugh, cry, and think, and their deaths can leave us feeling empty.
What's your favourite Angela Lansbury film? Better yet, are you a fan of the renowned actress?
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