Angela Lansbury, the legendary protagonist of Murder, She Wrote, dies aged 96, leaving behind a mammoth cinematic legacy spanning an impressive 80 years.
Murder she wrote‘s Angela Lansbury dies at age 96. The beloved actor starred in the classic TV series from 1984 to 1996, building a long career both in film and on stage. She has received a whopping 18 Emmy nominations for her work for television and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2013.
Lansbury was born in England in 1925, but moved with her family to the United States at a young age. With captivating blue eyes and a distinctive voice, she signed a contract with MGM at the age of 18 and was cast as a maid in gaslight. She went on to appear in a number of minor 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 theater by the time she was cast in her iconic role as crime-solving author Jessica Fletcher in Murder she wrote.
Lansbury died in her sleep at dawn on October 11, THR reports, and just five days before her 97th birthday. Her death was announced in a statement from her family. She leaves behind 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 lasted 80 years
Lansbury’s decades on stage and screen have made her an icon for audiences of all ages, appearing in Old Hollywood films, classic television and a range of childhood favorites. That last category included her role as Eglantine Price in Bed Knobs and Broomsticks, and the voices of both Mrs Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and the widow in Anastasia. She worked with many icons who have come and gone, including Elvis Presley, Katharine Hepburn and Frank Sinatra. Nevertheless, Lansbury persisted, still performing in the last years of her life. In 2014 and in her late 80s she toured for the stage production of Cheerful 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. About her longevity, she once famously noted: “Here I am, I’m still going, you know, like the tides.” Lansbury‘s legacy will live on through a body of work that has touched the hearts of many generations, whether it be those who have gladly tuned in to Murder she wrote when it was in the air or those who sang along with Beauty and the Beast.
Source: THR
