Angela Lansbury: 6 memorable roles

For more than 70 years, actor Angela Lansbury brought some of the world’s most beloved characters to life.

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Lansbury died in her sleep at her home on Tuesday just five days shy of her 97th birthday, her children confirmed.

From Mrs. Potts in “Beauty and the Beast” to Miss Eglantine Price in 1971′s “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” Lansbury mesmerized adults and children alike.

Her range, however, earned the actress a spot among the pantheon of talented performers whose talents spanned not only the big and small screens but the stage as well.

And believe it or not, there were a few villainous roles along the way.

Take a look below at six of Lansbury’s most memorable film, TV and stage roles.

“Murder, She Wrote”

For 12 seasons, Dame Angela Lansbury portrayed fictional mystery writer J.B. “Jessica” Fletcher on “Murder, She Wrote.” Listen to her discuss the show’s role in an evolving TV landscape.

“Beauty and the Beast”

In the clip below, Angela Lansbury sings “Beauty and the Beast” at the 1992 opening of Paris Disneyland. Lansbury’s “Mrs. Potts” endeared the actress to an entirely new generation of fans.

“Bedknobs and Broomsticks”

On Aug. 9, 1998, Angela Lansbury hosted the Disney Channel premiere of the extended version of “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and appeared in a variety of featurettes.

“Gypsy”

Lansbury won her first of five Tony’s in 1975 for her portrayal of Rose in “Gypsy.” Enjoy her performance of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” during the show’s 1989 revival.

“Gaslight”

At the tender age of 17, Lansbury earned her first Academy Award nomination for a small but impactful role in the 1944 suspense thriller “Gaslight,” opposite heavy-hitters Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman. The clip below shows Boyer’s Gregory flirt unabashedly with Lansbury’s maid Nancy, much to the discomfort of Bergman’s Paula.

“The Manchurian Candidate”

Lansbury earned an Academy Award nomination for her turn in 1962′s “The Manchurian Candidate” as Eleanor Iselin, the – ahem – ambitious political puppeteer steering her husband and son’s tragically flawed political and personal lives. Although she played the mother of the film’s protagonist, Raymond Shaw, she was actually only three years older than Lawrence Harvey, who played Shaw.

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Angela Lansbury through the years Actress Angela Lansbury attends a special screening and panel discussion of "Beauty and the Beast" to celebrate the animated film's 25th anniversary on May 9, 2016 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in Beverly Hills, California. / AFP / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

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