Angela Lansbury, born 95 years ago today the daughter of an Irish actress and a British politician, came relatively late to Broadway, appearing in her first role on the Rialto at the age of 31, after more than a dozen years as an Oscar-nominated Hollywood actress. and she did not achieve Broadway stardom until age 40, But, if she’s probably best known to the public at large for her 12-year run as amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher in the TV detective series “Murder She Wrote,” theatergoers see her as the consummate Broadway performer, appearing in 14 Broadway plays and musicals, nominated for seven Tony Awards for her performances, and winning five of them.
It must be said that her acclaimed performances in such Broadway hits as “Mame,” “Gypsy” and “Sweeney Todd” should not have come as a surprise. Yes, she became a star because of her movie roles in “Gaslight,” “National Velvet,” and “The Picture of Dorian Grey,” but here she is at the age of 21, singing “How’d You Like to Spoon With Me?” in the movie Till The Clouds Roll By
Dame Angela was still performing as late as last November, as Lady Bracknell in a one-night benefit of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” She was interviewed at Lincoln Center library that weekend by Irish Rep’s Charlotte Moore as part of the 37th season of The League of Professional Theatre Women’s Oral History Project, recounting her first role in the movies, as the saucy maid in Gaslight at the age of 17. From then on, “I was a utility actress, as far as MGM was concerned. They could put me into almost any role, and I would act it.” Two decades after that first Oscar-nominated screen role, she won her first of five Tony Awards. Three quarters of a century after she began, she’s still preparing for roles. “It’s terribly important to get out of yourself and into that character. Leave yourself at home.”
Happy 96th Birthday to Angela Lansbury today. I am watching Murder She Wrote right now and will watch three more until 3 AM here in Florida. I have enjoyed your acting all these years and will watch three more in the morning. I hope you enjoyed your day. Thank you for all the wonderful years. Judith Basham.
My favorite part of the day is watching “Murder She Wrote” and loving the genius of Jessica Fletcher! Thank you for years of pleasure.