Angela Lansbury, Star Of 'Murder She Wrote,’ Passes Away At Age 96
Image Source: We Are Entertainment News
Just five days before her 97th birthday, beloved actress Angela Lansbury passed away. Well known for her twelve seasons playing Jessica Fletcher on CBS’ Murder She Wrote, this iconic talent was a bright star on the big screen as well as on Broadway. Lansbury won five Tony awards, an honorary Oscar, and numerous Emmy nominations; she never won an Emmy, but was nominated for each season of Murder She Wrote. Lansbury’s honorary Oscar was awarded to her in 2013 recognizing her as “an entertainment icon who has created some of cinema’s most memorable characters, inspiring generations of actors.” Her family shared that she died in her sleep at her LA home.
Lansbury’s film credits include Gaslight (1944), National Velvet (1944), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), The World of Henry Orient (1964), Blue Hawaii (1961), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Mary Poppins Returns (2018). Fans of Disney animated classics adored her as the voice of Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast (1991) as well.
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Two things of particular interest that Angela Lansbury is known for are that she often played roles where the character was considerably older than she was. Examples are The Manchurian Candidate and Blue Hawaii. The second notable career specialty of this thespian was that she often played eccentric characters, with Jessica Fletcher being the exception. Per her own words according to The Hollywood Reporter: “What appealed to me about Jessica Fletcher,” she said, “is that I could do what I do best and [play someone I have had] little chance to play — a sincere, down-to-earth woman. Mostly, I’ve played very spectacular bitches. Jessica has extreme sincerity, compassion, extraordinary intuition. I’m not like her. My imagination runs riot. I’m not a pragmatist. Jessica is.”
Lansbury was one of those exceptional talents who could be at home in whatever dramatic environment she explored. Broadway welcomed her with open arms; her performance as the title character in Mame (1966) resulted in her first of four Tony awards – Best Actress In A Musical. She would go on to have a successful career performing in musicals prior to her debut on television. Following her success on Broadway, Lansbury found her way to the small screen in a miniseries Little Gloria, Happy At Last (1983). Many other appearances in miniseries followed, and Lansbury discovered that television fans received her well.
In 1971 Lansbury starred as a novelist in Death on the Nile and as Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack’d in 1980. Both projects were, of course, based on novels written by cozy murder mystery icon, Agatha Christie. These roles prepared her well to take the successful leading role in Murder She Wrote, which aired from 1984-1996.
Angela Lansbury is survived by her brother (Edgar), children (Anthony, Deirdre, and David), and grandchildren (Peter, Katherine, and Ian), as well as her five great-grandchildren. Her family will be planning a private ceremony.
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Source(s): The Hollywood Reporter