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'Murder, She Wrote' star Angela Lansbury dies at 96

October 11, 2022

The UK-born actress was best known for her role as crime-solving mystery writer Jessica Fletcher in the US TV series "Murder, She Wrote." She won several Tony awards for Broadway productions such as "Mame."

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Angela Lansbury in 2014
Angela Lansbury was born in London in 1925, but moved to the US as a teenagerImage: Casey Curry/AP/Invision/picture alliance

Acclaimed actress Angela Lansbury has died, a statement from her family said on Tuesday.

Lansbury was 96. She died just five days before her 97th birthday.

The statement said that Lansbury "died peacefully in her sleep."

Who was Angela Lansbury?

Lansbury was born in London in 1925 and moved to the United States in 1940. Her mother, actress Moyna McGill, featured in several US films.

The UK-born actress was best known for her role as crime-solving mystery writer Jessica Fletcher in the US television series "Murder, She Wrote," which ran from 1984 to 1996. She was nominated for an Emmy 11 times for the role, and was nominated 18 times in total.

Angela Lansbury as Sybil Vane in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'
The late Angela Lansbury played Sibyl Vane in the 1945 US film 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'Image: Photoshot/picture alliance

The actress made her film debut as a teenager in the 1944 film "Gaslight," which brought her an Oscar nomination. She was also nominated for her roles in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in 1945 and "The Manchurian Candidate" in 1962, but none of the movies saw her secure an Academy Award.

Lansbury was awarded an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in November 2013. Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush called Lansbury a "living definition of range" during the 2013 awards.

She also won five Tony awards for a number of Broadway performances, including "Mame," "Gypsy" and "Sweeney Todd."

Lansbury 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.

sdi/dj (AP, Reuters)