Biography:

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.

Information/Facts:

Name : Angela Lansbury
Birth Name : Angela Brigid Lansbury
Birth Date : 16 October 1925
Birth Place : London, England, UK
Nationality : British
Sex : Female
Height : 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Zodiac Sign : Libra
Sexual Orientation : Straight
Race or Ethnicity : White
Profession : Actress, Singer, Producer, Voice actress
Education : Webber-Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, London, UK, Feagin School of Drama and Radio, New York, NY
Husband : Roy Radabaugh, Peter Pullen
Mother : Charlotte Lillian McIldowie
Father : Edgar Isaac Lansbury
Grand Father : George Lansbury
Grand Mother : Elizabeth Jane Lansbury
Half Sister : Isolde Denham
Brother : Bruce Lansbury, Edgar Lansbury
Daughter : Deirdre Angela Shaw Battarra
Son : Anthony Peter Shaw, David Shaw
Nephew : David Lansbury
Claim to Fame : Her performance in the starring role of Jessica Fletcher on the American television series "Murder, She Wrote" (1984)
Career Highlights : The Manchurian Candidate, Gaslight, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
Credits : Awarded an honorary C.B.E. from the British Government through Queen Elizabeth IIHer performance in 'The Manchurian Candidate' (1962) is ranked #91 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time, Ranked #21 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains for villains
Awards : Golden Globe Award (1984, 87, 90 & 91) Best Actress in a Television Series (Drama) - "Murder, She Wrote",Tony (1979) Actress in a Musical - "Sweeney Todd", Tony (1975) Actress in a Musical - "Gypsy", Tony (1969) Actress in a Musical - "Dear World", Tony (1966) Actress in a Musical - "Mame", Golden Globe Award (1962) Best Supporting Actress - "The Manchurian Candidate (1962)", Golden Globe Award (1945) Best Supporting Actress - "The Picture of Dorian Gray"