Angela Lansbury, star of ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ dies at 96

Legendary actor Angela Lansbury, who starred for more than a decade as Jessica Fletcher in the crime drama “Murder, She Wrote” and voiced Mrs. Potts in 1991′s “Beauty and the Beast,” died Tuesday, family members said in a statement. She was 96.

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“The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1:30 AM today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” family members said in a statement obtained by NBC News and Broadway World.

She is survived by her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury; her children, Anthony, Deirdre and David; three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian; and five great-grandchildren, according to the statement.

“She was proceeded in death by her husband of 53 years, Peter Shaw,” family members said. “A private family ceremony will be held at a date to be determined.”

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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)

Born to Irish actress Moyna Macgill and lumber merchant Edgar Lansbury in London in 1925, Angela Lansbury became known for her decadeslong career on screen and on Broadway, according to People. She studied at the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art in London before moving to New York with her family in 1940.

Four years later, when she was 17, she launched her acting career with a starring role in the psychological thriller “Gaslight.” Her performance earned her the first of several Oscar nominations.

In 1957, she made her Broadway debut in “Hotel Paradiso.” During her career, she won five Tony Awards for her performances in “Mame” (1966), “Dear World” (1969), “Gypsy” (1975), “Sweeney Todd” (1979) and “Blithe Spirit” (2009), according to The Associated Press. Earlier this year, at the 75th annual Tony Awards, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Angela Lansbury’s contributions to the stage are insurmountable,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said in a joint statement in May. “From her groundbreaking role in ‘Mame’ to her iconic performances in ‘Deuce’ and ‘Sweeney Todd,’ and most recently, in the revival of ‘A Little Night Music,’ Ms. Lansbury has given us a lifetime of unforgettable performances.”

She was nominated for 15 Golden Globe Awards in her career, winning six for “Murder She Wrote” (1984-1996), “The Picture of Dorian Grey” (1945) and “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962).

Fans took to social media to remember Lansbury.

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