Angela Lansbury, an iconic actress, has passed away at 96 just five days prior to her 97th Birthday.
The Irish-British and American actress, famed for her roles in Murder, She Wrote and Beauty and the Beast died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles early on Tuesday morning.
A statement from her family read: ‘The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1:30 AM today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday.’
Lansbury’s Hollywood career stretched over eight decades. She was one of Hollywood’s most successful and well-respected actresses. Lansbury also appeared alongside some of Hollywood’s best known actors.
At the age of 18, she starred in Gaslight as a supporting role alongside Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman. This was her first film role. She received her first three Academy Award nominations. The next came one year later.
But, TV viewers are most familiar with Lansbury’s portrayal as Jessica Fletcher (a detective and mystery writer) in Murder She Wrote. The series ran 12 seasons, from 1984 to 1996.
Lansbury received ten Golden Globe nominations in recognition of her participation on the program. Lansbury also won four Golden Globes. This gives her the record number of Golden Globe nominations as well as wins for Best Actress for a drama television series.
Also, she was recognized for her contributions to the show. She received 12 Emmy Award nominations.
Tragic loss: Angela Lansbury has died aged 96 (pictured as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote
It received Emmy nominations three times for Outstanding Drama Series and six nominations from the Golden Globes. The series also won two Emmys.
Lansbury is best known for her roles in the CBS drama, but she also has a variety of roles that have been seen on television.
After lending her voice to the beloved Beauty and the Beast character Mrs. Potts in Disney’s 1991 animated movie Beauty and the Beast, her voice became world-famous.
She was awarded an Honorary Academy Award for 2013 in recognition of her 80-year acting career. In addition to being nominated on three occasions for Best Supporting Actress Oscars for Gaslight (1944), The Picture of Dorian Gray (45) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962), she also received the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress Oscars.
Lansbury was a star on Broadway, appearing in many productions. Her work on The Great White Way earned her five Tony Awards and a lifetime achievement award.
Producers chose her because she looked mature, which made her appear older than her real age.
She was only 23 when her hair was colored with gray. This was so that she could be a publisher of forty newspapers with an itch for Spencer Tracy in State of the Union.
When she turned 60, her stardom was evident when she won the Tony Awards for Mame (1966), Dear World(69), Gypsy (75) and Sweeney Todd (1879).
Icon: The actress, famed for her iconic roles in Murder, She Wrote and Beauty and the Beast died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday (pictured 2018)
In 2007, she was on Broadway again and received another Tony nomination for Terrence McNally’s Deuce. She plays a scrappy ex-star tennis player, who is reflecting as she looks at a match in the stands.
She won her fifth Tony in 2009 for the best-featured actress in Noel Coward’s revival of Blithe Spirit. In 2015, she was awarded an Olivier Award.
However, Lansbury was most famous for her 1984 TV series Murder, She Wrote.
It was loosely inspired from Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories. The series focused on Jessica Fletcher who is a middle-aged widow living in Cabot Cove Maine. She used to work as a substitute school teacher.
Her talents as both a mystery author and amateur sleuth were recognized.
It was exhausting for the actress to watch the first season.
“I was shocked to find out that I had to work twelve-15 hours daily, tirelessly, every day,” she said. “I was forced to make a statement and state that I couldn’t perform these shows within seven days. It will take eight days to complete them.”
Universal Studio and CBS agreed, particularly since Murder, She Wrote was a hit on Sunday nights. Lansbury kept her pace despite the lengthy days. She left Brentwood, West Los Angeles, at 6 AM and returned at night. Jessica Fletcher was an example to her and she appreciated it.
“Women who work in motion pictures have never had an easy time being role models for women,” she said. ‘They´ve always been considered glamorous in their jobs.’
Jessica’s first series wore clothing that was almost too frumpy. She began to show smartness and Lansbury suggested that Jessica dress appropriately for her success as a woman.
Murder, She Wrote maintained its high ratings throughout its 11th season. CBS moved Murder, She Wrote to a more favorable slot in the middle of week, hoping for a younger audience. Lansbury protested strongly, but it was not enough.
It was cancelled because of the drop in ratings. CBS purchased two-hour Murder, She Wrote movies and specials featuring Lansbury as consolation.
Murder, She Wrote, and other TV work earned her 18 Emmy nominations, but she didn’t win one. Her record holds the title of having received the most Emmy nominations and won the Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama series, and she also has the record for receiving the most Emmy nominations as a lead actress in drama series.
Lansbury told the Associated Press in 2008 that while she appreciated the correct script, she didn’t want to portray ‘old, descrepit women.’
“I would like women of my age to see themselves as productive, vital members of society.”
“I am astonished at how much stuff I was able to fit into all the years I’ve been in this business.” And I´m still here!’