Angela Lansbury dies aged 96

Angela Lansbury has died aged 96.

The actress, famed for her iconic roles in Murder, She Wrote and Beauty and the Beast died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

A statement from her family read: ‘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.’

Tragic loss: Angela Lansbury has died aged 96 (pictured as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote

Lansbury was most well-known for her portrayal of mystery writer and amateur detective, Jessica Fletcher in the hit American crime drama series, Murder She Wrote, which ran for 12 seasons from 1984-1996.

For her role on the program, Lansbury was nominated for ten Golden Globes, winning four, along with nominations for 12 Emmy Awards, earning her the record for the most Golden Globe nominations and wins for Best Actress in a television drama series and the most Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. 

She also played teapot, Mrs Potts in the 1991 animated film, Beauty and the Beast. 

Icon: The actress, famed for her iconic roles in Murder, She Wrote and Beauty and the Beast died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday (pictured 2018)

The series received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, as well as six Golden Globe nominations in the same category, with two major wins. 

In 2013, she received an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of her 80 year acting career.

She had previously been nominated for Academy Awards in the Best Supporting Actress category on three separate occasions for 1944’s Gaslight, 1945’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and 1962’s The Manchurian Candidate.