Angela Lansbury death: Hollywood pays tribute to iconic star

A woman in a gray jacket and headscarf holds onto a bed frame.

Oct. 11, 2022 Updated 6:10 PM PT

Personalities of the stage, television and film scenes celebrated the life of acting legend Angela Lansbury, who died Tuesday. The beloved “Murder, She Wrote” and five-time Tony Award winner died “peacefully in her sleep” at her home in Los Angeles. She was 96.

Lansbury, who was most widely known for her work as literary sleuth Jessica Fletcher in “Murder, She Wrote,” had a career that spanned decades and mediums — from the films “Gaslight” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” in the 1940s to the 2009 Broadway revival of “Blithe Spirit.”

“If she JUST had a movie career, or JUST had a TV career, or JUST had a stage career, she’d be an icon,” the Music Box Theatre tweeted. “How fortunate we are that she did it all.”

Similarly, Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group shared a statement paying tribute to Lansbury, who performed on the Ahmanson stage in “A Little Family Business” in 1982 and “Blithe Spirit” in 2014.

“Angela was a titan of show business, but at the same time she was one of the most kind and approachable people you would ever meet,” Douglas C. Baker, the producing director for Center Theatre Group, said. “Impeccably professional, genuine and deeply hilarious, it was an honor to work with her, and she leaves us with unforgettable memories.”

“Angela Lansbury - She, my darlings, was EVERYTHING!,” said stage actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein on Twitter.

Lansbury was feted on Tuesday by actors including George Takei and and Jason Alexander, who in their respective tweets said she will “sing lullabies to us now from the stars” and that “her huge contribution to the arts and the world remains.”

The Television Academy, which honored Lansbury with a Hall of Fame award in 1996, also paid tribute on Twitter.

“Frozen” actor and fellow Broadway star Josh Gad celebrated Lansbury‘s era-defying work, sharing a picture of himself with the actor.

“It is rare that one person can touch multiple generations, creating a breadth of work that defines decade after decade,” he tweeted. “#AngelaLansbury was that artist. From ‘Mame’ to ‘Bedknobs’ to ‘Murder She Wrote’ to ‘B&TB’ to ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ she touched 4 generations. RIP Legend”

Former Disney CEO Bob Iger retweeted a video of Lansbury performing “Tale as Old as Time,” from “Beauty and the Beast.”

“Disney’s beloved Mrs. Potts,” he wrote. “Angela Lansbury...a consummate professional, a talented actress, and a lovely person.”

“RIP to the incomparable legend Dame Angela Lansbury,” New York City Center said in a tweet.

“Not Angela!!!” tweeted “Slave Play” playwright Jeremy O. Harris. “RIP ANGELA LANSBURY THE ABSOLUTE GOAT! You shaped so much of my childhood and adolescence!

Actor Jennifer Beals shared on Twitter how Lansbury inspired her, especially in difficult filming situations. She said that she tried “to channel my inner, inexhaustible Angela Lansbury. Her stamina and brilliance were worshipful.”

“Sherlock” actor Mark Gatiss praised Lansbury as “the very definition of a pro,” while veteran Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth said the actor’s performance in the 1966 musical “Mame” was one of a kind.

“Nobody did Mame quite like her,” Chenoweth tweeted. “Rest in peace, Angela Lansbury. Thank you for your art & wisdom.”

“RIP to the legendary Dame Angela Lansbury, whose astonishing career spanned nine decades, from her debut Hollywood performance in GASLIGHT to her final role in the upcoming GLASS ONION. Lansbury received an honorary Oscar in 2013,” the Black List tweeted. “Thanks for all you shared with us, Angela.”

“Glass Onion” director Rian Johnson called Lansbury “an absolute legend” and shared a video of the actor performing “By the Sea” as Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd,” a role that earned her a Tony Award.

See more tributes to the acting icon below.