Angela Lansbury dies

Hollywood legend Angela Lansbury has died at the age of 96.

On Tuesday, a representative for the actress's family announced the sad news in a statement.

"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," they commented.

Born in London, Lansbury relocated to the U.S. in 1940 to pursue an acting career. Within a few years, she obtained roles in 1944's Gaslight and 1945's The Picture of Dorian Grey, with her portrayals earning her two Academy Award nominations.

Her other key performances were in 1962's The Manchurian Candidate, the lead in the 1966 Broadway musical Mame, and in the hit 1971 Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Meanwhile, Lansbury achieved international fame for her role as writer/sleuth Jessica Fletcher in the popular TV detective series Murder, She Wrote. The show ran for 12 seasons until 1996.

She was also known for voicing characters such as castle cook Mrs Potts in 1991's Beauty and the Beast and the Dowager Empress in 1997's Anastasia.

Considered one of the last stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema, Lansbury received an Honorary Academy Award in 2013 and was made a Dame of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II the following year.

The star was married to Richard Cromwell from 1945 until their divorce the following year and to Peter Shaw from 1949 until his death in 2003. Lansbury and Shaw shared two children, Anthony and Deidre.