Legendary actress Angela Lansbury has died of natural causes. She was 96.
Lansbury died in her sleep at her Los Angeles home early Tuesday, Oct. 11, her family confirmed in a statement.
Lansbury’s career spanned nearly 8 decades. She was best known for her role as a crime-fighting mystery writer on CBS’s “Murder, She Wrote.” The highly-rated TV series ran for 12 seasons and she earned an Emmy nomination each season (a record that still stands).
Born in London, England on October 16, 1925, Lansbury moved to New York City in 1940 when she was 14. There, she studied acting before moving to Hollywood 2 years later.
Her breakout role was in the 1944 movie Gaslight, followed by The Picture of Dorian Gray. She earned Academy Award nominations for both films.
In 1962, she landed a role in the critically acclaimed movie The Manchurian Candidate. She earned her third Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
After a successful run on Broadway, Lansbury landed the iconic role of Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote. The role was originally offered to actress Jean Stapleton (“All in the Family”).
