Celebrity Legacies
In this column, Kaylee writes about different celebrities and their legacies that they left behind.
This Month: Angela Lansbury
Celebrity Legacies: Angela Lansbury
By Kaylee Brazzle
Angela Lansbury was an Irish, British, and American actress that has been in many movies, from BedKnobs And Broomsticks to Beauty and The Beast. She lived from 1925 to 2022, and lived a fascinating musical life throughout her career.
Angela Lansbury’s acting career lasted from the early 1940s to 2022, when she unfortunately passed. An article by CNN states, “At not yet even 20 years old, Lansbury garnered her first Oscar nomination for her movie debut in Gaslight in 1944”. Even as a young girl, her acting was appreciated and people already knew that she was going to last in the acting world. In 2013, she officially won her first Oscar nomination. Her acting career has spanned many years and generations, and has touched so many hearts. Lansbury was influential to many, with her sweet perspectives on life, and her loving family that supported her in everything that she did and accomplished.
Taken from the movie 'If A Winter Comes' and put on HollywoodReporter.com
Angela was born in London on Oct. 16, 1925. Since her mother, Moyna Macgill, was an actress, Angela wanted to start acting from a very young age. The Oscars website made a dedication to her that states, “She studied at the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art before moving to New York with her brothers and actress mother, just before the 1940 London Blitz.” She has always loved acting. However, in 2001, she took a temporary retirement to take care of her husband Peter Shaw, while he was having many health problems. He later died from heart failure in 2003. This loss was upsetting for Angela Lansbury, which is why, even though she loved to act, she could not make a full comeback for a while.
Taken in 2007, for an interview with NYTimes.com about the movie 'Murder She Wrote'.
Until she was done with her temporary retirement, she made small cameos in other films. As said on Imdb, “Her first prominent film role in years was that of Aunt Adelaide in the fantasy film Nanny McPhee (2005). She credits her performance in the film with pulling her out of depression, a state of mind which had lasted since her husband's death.” In 2007, she returned to Broadway with a new outlook on life, and has stated in many interviews that, as she continues to follow her passions, she will also make time for her family because that is what matters most to her.
In 2015, Angela won her first Olivier Award for best supporting actress and, after that, she had been in many Disney films such as Beauty and The Beast, and Mary Poppins. In 2020, she was named one of the oldest living actresses, at 95 years old. However, with all of this information being said, she sadly passed away on Oct. 11, 2022, at 97 years old. She was surrounded by all of her loving family, which was all she needed. Angela Lansbury was an influential person, and still remains one of the most popular acting icons today.
