Angela Brigid Lansbury, CBE (born 16 October 1925 in Poplar, London) is an English actress and singer whose career has spanned seven decades. Her first film appearance was in 1944 for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Among her other films are The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). She expanded her repertoire to Broadway and television in the 1950s and was particularly successful in Broadway productions of ‘Gypsy’, ‘Mame’ and ‘Sweeney Todd’. Lansbury is perhaps best known for her role as writer Jessica Fletcher on the U.S. television series “Murder, She Wrote”, in which she starred from 1984 to 1996. Her recent roles include Lady Adelaide Stitch in the 2005 film Nanny McPhee, Leona Mullen in the 2007 Broadway play Deuce, Madame Arcati in the 2009 Broadway revival of the play Blithe Spirit (2009) and Madame Armfeldt in the 2010 Broadway revival of the musical ‘A Little Night Music’. Respected for her versatility, Lansbury has won five Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, and has been nominated for numerous other industry awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress on three occasions, and eighteen Emmy Awards. |