Legendary 'Murder, She Wrote' Actress Angela Lansbury Dies at 96

Angela Lansbury
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Dame Angela Lansbury died peacefully in her home just days before her 97th birthday, her family says.

Legendary actress of both stage and screen Angela Lansbury has died at 96, according to reports.

The “Murder, She Wrote” star died in her sleep just five days before her 97th birthday, according to a family statement.

“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," her family said in a statement.

"In addition to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, she is survived by three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury," the statement added. "She was proceeded in death by her husband of 53 years, Peter Shaw. A private family ceremony will be held at a date to be determined."

Lansbury was born in London and later moved to New York and attended the Feagin School of Dramatic Art.

Lansbury, who was a three-time Oscar nominee and five-time Tony winner, had a career that spanned eight decades and  captivated audiences on England’s West End stages, New York’s Broadway and on both the big and small screens in roles like “Beauty and the Beast,” “Gaslight,” and “The Manchurian Candidate.”

While she was a notable star in her long career, she became a household name in 1984 when she took on the role of sleuth Jessica Fletcher in the CBS series, “Murder, She Wrote,” which she held for 12 years and nine seasons.

While staring in the series, it made her one of the wealthiest women in the U.S. at the time, with a fortune estimated at $100 million, according to BBC.

Queen Elizabeth II named her a Dame in 2014.

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