Angela Lansbury died on Tuesday, her relatives said in a family statement. The “Murder, She Wrote” actress was 96 years old — five days away from turning 97. Lansbury was well-known for her acting in several films and television series, including “Nanny McPhee,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “The Grinch.”
According to IMDb, Lansbury was born in 1925 to an affluent family. Her mother was a professional film actor in Belfast while her father was mayor of Poplar, the second Communist mayor in Britain.
While Lansbury’s mother influenced her to become an actor, she had a moment where she became determined to follow the path of acting. Broadway World reported that Lansbury decided that she wanted to be an actor after seeing John Gielgud perform as Hamlet in “Hamlet.” At the time, Lansbury was 10 years old and just a few years later, she would start acting professionally.
Lansbury started acting young, playing the role of Nancy in “Gaslight” in 1944 and then a year later playing Sibyl Vane in “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”
Lansbury later would act in classic movies such as “The Manchurian Candidate” and “Mrs ’Arris Goes to Paris.” NBC News reported that Lansbury was one of the most decorated actresses of all time. With six Tony awards, an induction into the TV Hall of Fame and three Oscar nominations, Lansbury’s craft was well-recognized throughout her life.
She was both a television actor and a Broadway actor. According to People, her stage acting led her to win the Tony Award for lifetime achievement in theater. Lansbury acted in plays such as “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Blithe Spirit.”
As the voice of Mrs. Potts in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Lansbury became an even more beloved icon and would continue to be remembered for that important role.
Lansbury was a truly beloved actor. During her career, she was invited to perform with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, then known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. When she was invited, she did not know much about Utah, but was impressed by the region. In a press conference reported on by Deseret News, she said, “I had never seen anything like this wonderful valley surrounded by these majestic mountains. And it’s just beautiful.”
She performed in the second Christmas concert for the Tabernacle Choir in the 21,000 seat Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City. Originally, Lansbury had turned down the invitation, but quickly recanted and came to perform.
Lansbury spoke highly of her time performing with the choir. “These people are working together for the sake of their art,” she said. “Everyone’s a volunteer. I’m a volunteer, and it is refreshing to be working with people who aren’t concerned with the box office intake. We’re not up against cost. We’re not up against the venue. And may I say that it is a fantastic venue.”
Angela Lansbury is remembered as a legendary actor. According to The Associated Press, “She holds the record for the most Golden Globe nominations and wins for best actress in a television drama series and the most Emmy nominations for lead actress in a drama series.”
The family will hold a private ceremony to commemorate her death.