Angela Lansbury: Murder She Wrote star dies peacefully at 96

Dame Angela Lansbury has died at the age of 96, her family has announced.

The Irish-British and American actress was best known for her portrayal of Jessica Fletcher in American drama series Murder, She Wrote.

According to a family statement, Dame Angela died in her sleep five days before her 97th birthday.

With a career spanning more than eight decades, Dame Angela was a three-time Oscar nominee and five-time Tony Award winner.

Angela Lansbury pictured in 2018

She was born in London in 1925 and later moved to the US to avoid the Blitz.

Dame Angela’s first film role was in George Cukor’s Gaslight as a young maid named Nancy Oliver who worked in the home of the film’s protagonist Paula Alquist, played by Ingrid Bergman.

The then-19-year-old Dame Angela received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role in the 1944 film.

She is perhaps best known, however, for her portrayal of novelist and sleuth Jessica – a retired school teacher from the fictional town of Cabot Cove who became a successful detective novelist after her husband’s death.

Star Trek actor George Takei was among those paying tribute last night.

He said on Twitter: “Angela Lansbury, who graced the stage for decades winning five Tony awards and brought the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher into our living rooms for a dozen years, has passed.

"A tale old as time, our beloved Mrs. Potts will sing lullabies to us now from the stars. Rest, great soul.”

Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson shared a fond memory.

“I’ll never forget sitting next to Angela Lansbury at an opening night,” he tweeted.

“Even though I had to pee I refused to leave my seat during intermission. I spent the 15 minutes chatting with her instead.

“She was incredibly lovely and I’m so glad I had that brief time with her. RIP Angela.”

Lansbury’s widest fame began in 1984 when she launched Murder, She Wrote.

The actress found the first series season exhausting.

“I was shocked when I learned that had to work 12-15 hours a day, relentlessly, day in, day out,” she recalled.

“I had to lay down the law at one point and say ‘Look, I can’t do these shows in seven days, it will have to be eight days’.”

Despite the long days and reams of dialogue to memorise, Lansbury was pleased that Jessica Fletcher served as an inspiration for older women.

“Women in motion pictures have always had a difficult time being role models for other women,” she observed. “They’ve always been considered glamorous in their jobs.”

In a 2008 interview, Lansbury said she still welcomed the right script but did not want to play “old, decrepit women”. She added: “I want women my age to be represented the way they are, which is vital, productive members of society.

“I’m astonished at the amount of stuff I managed to pack into the years.”