Home> Facts and Trivia > Stars > Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury Facts
| Sign | Libra |
| Born |
Oct 16, 1925 Poplar, London |
| Died |
Oct 11, 2022 Los Angeles, CA |
| Age | Died at 97 |
| Total Facts | 57 |
Angela Lansbury recreated the role of Mrs. Pollifax in the 1999 TV movie who was originally in the movie was played by Rosalind Russell. She also recreated Miss Russell's title role in Auntie Mame (1958) in the original Broadway cast of the musical "Mame".
11/25/75: Her mother, Moyna MacGill, died.
1951: Became a U.S. citizen.
1985: She accepted the Oscar for "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" on behalf of Peggy Ashcroft, who wasn't present at the awards ceremony.
1997: She was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, DC.
2000: She was the recipient of the John F. Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 for her services to the arts.
2005: To date, she is the only actress with more than two nominations in Tony Award competition to go undefeated, having won all four for which she was nominated. Her Tony wins, all in the Best Actress (Musical) category, are: in 1966, "Mame"; in 1969, "Dear World"; the musical version of "The Madwoman of Chaillot"; in 1975, a revival of "Gypsy"; and, in 1979, "Sweeney Todd", a performance she recreated in the television production of the same title, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982) (TV).
2006: To date, she has hosted (or co-hosted) more Tony Awards telecasts than any other individual: (1968, 1971, 1987, 1988, and 1989).
2nd cousin, via cousin Coral Lansbury, to Australian Federal Liberal Party leader, Malcolm Turnbull.
A recent authorized biography, "Balancing Act," states that her first husband, Richard Cromwell was gay, a fact she didn't know until after their separation.
As for February 2010, she holds the record for youngest actress to get two Oscar nominations (by the age of 20). Was tied with Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson and Alan Alda for the most Golden Globe Award wins: six, until Streep's seventh win on January 17, 2010.
Aunt of David Lansbury, who is married to Ally Sheedy
Before becoming a professional performer she went by her middle name Brigid. MGM wanted her to take the name Angela Marlowe but she refused.
Best known by the public as Jessica Fletcher on "Murder, She Wrote" (1984).
Cousin of Oliver Postgate, the producer and voice behind the classic BBC TV series "The Clangers" (1969) and such shows such as "Ivor the Engine" (1975).
Cousin to Coral Lansbury, (died 4/4/1991), Rutgers University Camden Campus Dean of the Graduate School of English and mother to Australian Liberal Party leader, Malcolm Turnbull.
Daughter of actress Moyna MacGill, who appeared with her in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) and Kind Lady (1951).
Daughter: Deirdre Angela Shaw, born April 26, 1953, Los Angeles, California.
Ex-stepmother-in-law of Catherine Bach.
Granddaughter of George Lansbury, British Labour Party leader in 1930s.
Grandmother, via son Anthony Pullen Shaw, of Ian Lansbury.
Her performance as Mrs. John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is ranked #21 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains for villains.
Her performance as Mrs. John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is ranked #91 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Her singing voice was dubbed in The Harvey Girls (1946).
Her son was a follower of Charles Manson's gang. After the Sharon Tate murders, she thought it best to get him out of the country. She took him to Ireland to help him with his drug problems.
Her twin brothers are both film producers.
Is a member of St. David's Anglican Church in North Hollywood, California.
July 14, 2005: She had knee replacement surgery.
July 21, 2000: She withdrew from a Broadway musical, "The Visit," due to her husband's impending heart surgery.
Lansbury is a Republican and throughout the years has supported Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George Bush, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and John McCain. She has appeared throughout the years at many of the Republican National Conventions and she had donated money to the RNC and during her Hollywood years she was a member of the Hollywood Republican Committee. She plans to endorse Mitt Romney in the 2012 Presidential Election.
Mother of Anthony Pullen Shaw and Deirdre Shaw (Deirdre Angela Shaw). Stepmother of David Shaw.
On the last episode of "Murder, She Wrote" (1984), she didn't work on the final day of production as there was too much emotion going on.
Played Elvis Presley's mother in Blue Hawaii (1961), despite only being 10 years older than him.
She and Mildred Natwick were both in The Court Jester (1956) and were reunited in an episode of "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) ("Murder in the Electric Cathedral") 30 years later.
She had performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in their annual public Christmas concerts at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.
She has been nominated 12 times for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series on "Murder, She Wrote" (1984), plus four more before, during and after the series, but didn't win.
She has been the co-recipient of 3 Grammy Awards for the Broadway stage shows, "Mame" (1966) and "Sweeney Todd" (1979) in which she played the female lead.
She has one half-sister, Isolde, from her mother's first marriage to Reginald Denham. Isolde was married to Peter Ustinov, with whom she had one daughter, Tamara Ustinov, Lansbury's niece.
She now holds the record for the most Emmy nominations without a single win.
She reunited with Death on the Nile (1978) co-star Olivia Hussey in the "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) episode "Sing a Song of Murder" (#27), seven years after that film. Olivia played Rosalie Otterbourne in the movie and she was the daughter of Salome Otterbourne, played by Lansbury.
She trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England whose alumni include Terence Stamp, Elizabeth Knowelden, Hugh Bonneville, Rupert Friend, Antony Sher, Matthew Goode, Sue Johnston, Minnie Driver and Julian Fellowes.
She was a longtime friend of the late Bob Hope and gave a speech at his memorial service on 27 August 2003. She and Hope appeared on Bob Hope: The First 90 Years (1993) (TV), and she sang with him.
She was among the special guests who were invited to the Grand Opening of the first Disney Park in Europe (Disneyland Resort Paris, formerly known as EuroDisney Resort), where she impressed her hand prints.
She was awarded a C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for her services to drama in 1994.
She was awarded the 2009 Tony Award for Actress in A Featured Role in a Play for her performance in "Blithe Spirit" on Broadway in New York City.
She was considered for the role of Miss Caswell in All About Eve (1950), but Marilyn Monroe was cast in the part instead.
She was nominated for the 2007 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Drama for "Deuce".
She was offered the role of "Nurse Ratchet" in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) but turned it down because she didn't think she could handle the role.
She was one of the last guest stars on "Newhart" (1982).
She was one of the speakers at Jerry Orbach's memorial service.