Angela Lansbury's Journey Over Her Near 8 Decades Spanning Career

Jan 17, 2021 by apost team

As a star of both stage and screen, legendary actress Angela Lansbury has captivated audiences around the world for more than 75 years. With a diverse array of roles under her belt, Lansbury is considered a legend in the movie and TV world. Her career-making performances have spanned the spectrum from familiar musicals to silver screen classics to television dramas. And she is still going strong at 95 years of age with no intentions of stepping into the slow lane. Looking back over her storied rise to fame, it is not hard to see why Lansbury's star has shone so brightly in the entertainment business for so many decades.

Angela Lansbury began her acting career at the young age of 17 when she went from working the cosmetic counter at a small department store to suddenly signing a contract with MGM Studios. MGM had been looking for young British actresses to fill their roster, and Lansbury fit the bill perfectly.

Shortly after signing with MGM, she took her first major role in the movie "Gaslight," starring alongside such Hollywood greats as Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. Astoundingly, this first landmark role garnered the then-rookie actress an Oscar Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and sent her career rocketing to the top seemingly overnight.

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Lansbury's first Oscar nod was followed very shortly thereafter by a second Oscar Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the film "The Picture of Dorian Gray." With two Oscar nominations under her belt, Lansbury went on to top-billing in multiple roles on both stage and screen throughout the many years to follow. She often found herself starring with such legends as Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, and on many occasions, her close friend Elizabeth Taylor.

As Lansbury's stardom continued to rise, she took the reins on numerous pictures that quickly became fan favorites. One such role in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" became another one of Lansbury's most revered and recognized character creations for the Disney film that featured toe-tapping music and cutting-edge animation effects. And just as memorable was her voicing of the charming Mrs. Potts in "Beauty and the Beast" in 1991, allowing Lansbury to once again stretch her beautiful, signature singing voice for the delightful motherly character.

In the early '80s, Lansbury made the jump to television, bringing her legendary film skills to the small screen for a new drama. The role of Jessica Fletcher, the unassuming mystery writer with a knack for cracking tough murder cases, quickly became one of her most recognizable and beloved characters as she took her star to new heights with the long-standing CBS drama "Murder, She Wrote." Her turn as mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher in the long-running series may be her most popular role to date. The show had a 12-year run, debuting in 1984 and ending in 1996, according to IMDB.

Lansbury took on the "Murder, She Wrote" job in her 60s, an age many in Hollywood would consider past an actor or actress' prime. However, once again, she became a powerhouse in the entertainment industry. At the time, many touted her to be the most powerful woman in television. Lansbury wanted to make sure her character's personality remained strong and pushed to change the script if the character was not to the right standard. Several of Lansbury's family members, including her husband and son, also worked on the show. She would continue to play that part with her signature passion and charisma past her 70th birthday.

This role also brought a great deal of recognition for the actress. The show helped to cement her icon status in the minds of a new generation of TV viewers while reviving interest among Lansbury's longtime fans. Besides finding a whole new loyal audience in the television arena, Lansbury was also nominated for numerous Primetime Emmy Awards, Golden Globes and a SAGA for her role as the mystery writer, adding to her long catalog of previous award nominations and wins.

Lansbury has occasionally mentioned in interviews that, although her career has been one for the ages, she has often regretted not spending more time with her closest loved ones. She is the mother of two grown children and was married for more than 50 years to her husband, Peter Shaw, before becoming a widow upon his death in early 2003. The power couple worked together on many of Lansbury's projects over the years, and she noted recently that losing her soul mate was one of the biggest "dividing times" in her life, requiring a great deal of space and healing to be able to emerge again from that deep grief and go back to working on her own.

Now still going strong at 95, Lansbury is showing no intentions of stepping out of the spotlight any time soon. In most recent years, she has appeared in small roles in highly acclaimed films and television series such as the reprise of "Little Women" and Disney's "Mary Poppins Returns." She is currently working toward the release of her latest movie, "The Adventures of Buddy Thunder," which is still in the early stages of production.

When asked in an interview if there was anything she still longed for after looking back over her long and illustrious career, Lansbury noted that she hopes to simply be able to keep her memory strong. “We live on the memory of our lives, and I think that’s one of the things I cherish (most) is the memory of my family, the memory of my children growing up, the memory of life with my husband, the memory of knowing the people that I do. I just don’t want ever to forget.”

Angela Lansbury certainly has plenty of momentous events and people to remember, and she has given audiences just as many beautiful memories of her flawless and endearing performances. As one of the most respected women in Hollywood, Angela Lansbury’s lifelong career speaks loudly for itself. Fans are certainly looking forward to whatever the prestigious actress has in the works and are glad to see she has no plans of retirement any time soon.

If you have enjoyed walking through the eight-decade-long career of one of the world’s most well-known and beloved actresses, be sure to pass this article on to any other Angela Lansbury fans in your life. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts in the comments!