Angela Lansbury -Biography

Mini Biography
British character actress, long in the United States. The daughter of an actress and the granddaughter of a high-ranking politician, Lansbury studied acting from her youth, departing for the United States as the Second World War began. She was contracted by MGM while still a teenager and nominated for an Academy Award for her first film, Gaslight (1944). Two pictures later, she was again nominated for Best Supporting Actress, this time for The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945). Now established as a supporting player of quality, she began a long career, often as "the other woman" in major productions and as the leading lady in lesser films. Her features, while not at all old-appearing, gave her an air of maturity that allowed her to pass as much older than she actually was, and she began playing mother roles, often to players of her own age, while yet in her thirties. She concentrated more and more on stage work, achieving notable success in a number of Broadway plays and musicals, winning four Tony Awards in sixteen years. Although active in television since the early 1950s, she obtained her greatest fame in the 1980s by starring in the light mystery program "Murder, She Wrote" (1984). As Jessica Fletcher, she became known and loved by millions for well over a decade. She also became known for the odd fact of almost annual Emmy Award nominations for the role without ever winning for it. An institution in American theatre and television, she is also an inspiration for the graciousness of her personality, which is often exploited and always admired.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jim Beaver


Spouse
Peter Shaw (12 August 1949 - 29 January 2003) (his death) 2 children
Richard Cromwell (27 September 1945 - August 1946) (divorced)


Trivia
Daughter of actress Moyna MacGill, who appeared with her in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) and Kind Lady (1951).

Granddaughter of George Lansbury, British Labour Party leader in 1930s.

Mother of Anthony Pullen Shaw and Deirdre Angela Shaw. Stepmother of David Shaw.

Sister of Edgar Lansbury and Bruce Lansbury, and half-sister of Isolde Denham.

Wearing just conventional makeup (i.e., not studio made-up to look "old"), she was most chilling and unforgettable (and convincing!) as the manipulating mother of Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), while in real life being scarcely three years Harvey's senior.

She, her mother Moyna MacGill and her twin younger brothers were in the last boatload of family members evacuated from London to America during the WWII blitz.

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.

She was awarded a C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for her services to drama in 1994.

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.

Aunt of David Lansbury, who is married to Ally Sheedy

2000: She was the recipient of the John F. Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 for her services to the arts.

She now holds the record for the most Emmy nominations without a single win.

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.

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).

She and Mildred Natwick were both in The Court Jester (1955) and were reunited in an episode of "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) ("Murder in the Electric Cathedral") 30 years later.

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 was reunited with The Court Jester (1955) co-star Glynis Johns in the "Murder, She Wrote" (1984) episode "Sing a Song of Murder" (#27) 29 years after that film.

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.

July 21, 2000: She withdrew from a Broadway musical, "The Visit," due to her husband's impending heart surgery.

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 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 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 was one of the last guest stars on "Newhart" (1982).

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.

11/25/75: Her mother, Moyna MacGill, died.

1951: Became a U.S. citizen.

Her twin brothers are both film producers.

She had performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in their annual public Christmas concerts at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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.

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).

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.

July 14, 2005: She had knee replacement surgery.

While filming Death on the Nile (1978), aboard ship, no one was allowed his or her own dressing room, so she shared a dressing room with Bette Davis and Maggie Smith.

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.

2006: To date, she has hosted (or co-hosted) more Tony Awards telecasts than any other individual: (1968, 1971, 1987, 1988, and 1989).

1997: She was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, DC.

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.

She was one of the speakers at Jerry Orbach's memorial service.

Though she's not hailed for her singing voice often, she has won 4 Tony Awards for Best Actress In A Musical, and is best known for being in musicals.

Her singing voice was dubbed in The Harvey Girls (1946).

Before becoming a professional performer she went by her middle name Brigid. MGM wanted her to take the name Angela Marlowe but she refused.

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.

Ex-stepmother-in-law of Catherine Bach.

Daughter: Deirdre Angela Shaw, born April 26, 1953, Los Angeles, California.

2nd cousin, via cousin Coral Lansbury, to Australian Federal Liberal Party leader, Malcolm Turnbull.

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.

Grandmother, via son Anthony Pullen Shaw, of Ian Lansbury.

She was nominated for the 2007 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Drama for "Deuce".

She was considered for the role of Miss Caswell in All About Eve (1950), but Marilyn Monroe was cast in the part instead.

With her 2009 Tony Award for Actress in a Featured Role in a Play on June 7, 2009, she and Julie Harris are the only two actresses to win five Tony Awards.

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.

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 17th 2010.

Played Elvis Presley's mother in Blue Hawaii, despite only being 10 years older than him.

Best known by the public as Jessica Fletcher on "Murder, She Wrote" (1984).



Personal Quotes
Actors are not made, they are born.

I've had an incredible relationship with my husband, with my family. I know they've had problems of their own, but we have never wavered in our closeness as a family. I've had a hell of a life.

I just stopped playing bitches on wheels and peoples' mothers. I have only a few more years to kick up my heels!

[On working with the choir, the first time] I felt extremely nervous. I felt I was working with a group of people who are so wonderfully integrated among themselves to produce wonderful sound, music, singing - their voices are so pure, so clear. I've listened so much to them in the past to be singing down with them, I was very nervous.



Salary
Fantasia/2000 (1999) Ј 3,000
Gaslight (1944) $500/week


Where Are They Now
(March 2006) Had Knee Replacement Surgery provided by DePuy Orthopaedics (as reported on The Washington Post)

(April 2007) Appearing in 'Deuce' at The Music Box on Broadway.

(February 2009) Currently starring in a Broadway revival of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit as eccentric medium Madame Arcati

(June 2009) Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY.