On Tuesday, legendary actress Angela Lansbury’s three children announced that she died overnight in her sleep at her Los Angeles home. She was 96.
“The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1:30 a.m. today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” her family announced Tuesday in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
“In addition to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, she is survived by three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury,” the statement adds. “She was proceeded in death by her husband of 53 years, Peter Shaw. A private family ceremony will be held at a date to be determined.”
The passing of Dame Angela Lansbury truly marks the end of an era.
She was one of the very last surviving stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, who was already a 2-time Oscar nominee by the age of 20. Her career spanned 8 decades.
Forever beautiful and forever legendary. pic.twitter.com/Nm3MuyIupz
— Dame Angela Lansbury News 🇺🇦 (@_AngelaLansbury) October 12, 2022
“The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1:30 AM today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” her family said in a statement.
The London-born actor took her life’s final bow as one of the most decorated players in stage history.
Lansbury won five Tony Awards, most recently in 2009 for best featured actress in a play for her work in Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.”
Her best known work on the Great White Way was probably as ghoulish pie maker Nellie Lovett, in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” She cooked up a Tony for best musical actress in 1979 for that role.
So privileged I got to spend time with this incredible woman. No one like her. 💔 Rest In Peace, Ms Angela. @_AngelaLansbury @KerryButlerNyc @BrillCorey #GoreVidalsTheBestMan pic.twitter.com/dewX3lU0LL
— Eric McCormack (@EricMcCormack) October 11, 2022
Her other three Tony wins were for best actress in a musical for “Mame” in 1966, “Dear World” in 1969 and “Gypsy” in 1975.
Audra McDonald and Julie Harris are the only actors to win six Tonys; Harris’ sixth Tony was for lifetime achievement.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Angela Lansbury,” according to statement by Actors’ Equity, the union representing live stage performers.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.