Dame Angela Lansbury was one of the last surviving actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Source: Eva Rinaldi, Flickr.
After a stellar career that lasted more than 75 years, Dame Angela Lansbury has passed away in Los Angeles at age 96.
Her family confirmed the news with the stage and screen legend having died just five days before her 97th birthday.
“The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep,” the statement said.
Lansbury, who is most notably known for her role as mystery writer Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, made her film screen debut in George Cukor’s Gaslight opposite Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotton in 1944.
She went onto have a film career that lasted 78 years, with her last appearance in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery which is due to make its debut later this year.
She was also nominated for three Academy Awards and was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2013.Her television career was just as remarkable, having been nominated for 18 Emmys over 33 years.
For her role in Murder, She Wrote she was won four Golden Globes throughout the shows 12 seasons while she won five Tony’s for her prolific stage roles in Mame, Dear World, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Blithe Spirit.
Tributes have poured in from throughout the entertainment industry including Catherine Zeta-Jones, who starred with Lansbury in A Little Night Music on Broadway in 2009.
“Dearest, Darling, Dame Angela Lansbury. May you Rest In Peace. Our Broadway double act will forever be one of the joys of my life. As the lights dim for you on ‘The Great White Way’ you shall glow forever in our heart. Love you Angela, Catherine,” Zeta-Jones said.
Fellow actor Josh Gad shared a picture of himself with Lansbury saying, “It is rare that one person can touch multiple generations, creating a breadth of work that defines decade after decade”.
While Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson shared a humours story of meeting the actress.
“I’ll never forget sitting next to Angela Lansbury at an opening night,” he said.
“Even though I had to pee I refused to leave my seat during intermission. I spent the 15 minutes chatting with her instead.
“She was incredibly lovely and I’m so glad I had that brief time with her. RIP Angela.”
She is survived by her three children, three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and her brother Edgar Lansbury.
