Murder, She Wrote's Angela Lansbury dies at age 96. The beloved actor starred in the classic TV series from 1984 to 1996 and established a long career both in film and on stage. She received an impressive 18 Emmy nominations for her work in television and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2013.
Lansbury was born in England in 1925, but moved to the United States with her family at a young age. With captivating blue eyes and a distinctive voice, she signed a contract with MGM at age 18 and was cast as the maid in Gaslight. She then went on to appear in a number of smaller roles before starring in iconic films including The Manchurian Candidate, The Court Jester and The Greatest Story Ever Told. She was already an established face in cinema and in theater by the time she was cast in her iconic role as crime-solving author Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote.
Lansbury passed away in her sleep in the early morning of October 11, THR reports, and only five days before her 97th birthday. Her death was announced in a statement released by her family. She is survived by her brother, two children, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A private ceremony will be held to celebrate the actor's life.
Angela Lansbury's Career Spanned 80 Years
Lansbury's decades on stage and screen have cemented her as an icon for audiences of all ages, having appeared in films of Old Hollywood, classic television, and a string of childhood favorites. That final category included her role as Eglantine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and the voices of both Mrs. Potts in Disney's Beauty and the Beast and the Dowager in Anastasia. She worked with many icons that have come and gone, including Elvis Presley, Katharine Hepburn, and Frank Sinatra. Nevertheless, Lansbury endured, still performing in the last years of her life. In 2014 and while in her late 80s, she went on tour for the stage production of Blithe Spirit. Lansbury also appeared in Mary Poppins Returns in 2018.
The Murder, She Wrote star had one of the longest careers in the film industry, spanning eight decades. On her longevity, she once famously remarked "Here I am, I still go on, you know, like the tides." Lansbury's legacy will continue to live on through a body of work that has touched the hearts of many generations, whether it be through those who happily tuned into Murder, She Wrote when it was on the air or those who sang along to Beauty and the Beast.
Source: THR