Beauty and the Beast star Angela Lansbury has died
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity, Disney
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: Allstar Picture Library Ltd / Everett Collection Inc / Alamy
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity, Disney
Angela Lansbury, who starred as Mrs Potts in the original Beauty and the Beast, has passed away at the age of 96.
The star - also known for her iconic roles as Miss Price in the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks - passed away just five days before turning 97 years old.
The London-born actor is said to have passed 'peacefully in her sleep' at home in Los Angeles.
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Her family stated: "The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1.30am today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday.
"In addition to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, she is survived by three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury.
"She was proceeded in death by her husband of 53 years, Peter Shaw. A private family ceremony will be held at a date to be determined."
Lansbury didn't just star in films such as Nanny McPhee, Anastasia and Mary Poppins Returns, but television and theatre too.
As well as starring in Murder, She Wrote, she also featured in 2017's Little Women.
Some of her theatrical credits include Sweeney Todd (1979) and The Importance of Being Earnest (2019).
Throughout her career, Lanbsury received a total of seven Tony award nominations - of which she won a whopping five.
She also received a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2022.
People have since flooded to social media to post tributes and pay their respects to the actor.
One said: "One of my fave bits of movie trivia is that Dame Angela Lansbury didn't think she was the right person to sing Beauty and the Beast so the producers asked for her rendition just as a backup. She did it in one take...and that's what you hear in the film."
"Angela Lansbury was 58 when Murder, She Wrote debuted in 1984, making the success of the series a monumental victory for older actresses looking for substantial roles. The next year, The Golden Girls debuted," another wrote.
A third commented: "If anyone deserves a two-week international mourning period, it's this Irish-English-American queen who won five Tonys and was nominated for three Oscars and 18 Emmys. What a life, just shy of 97 years. Angela Lansbury, you f**king legend."
A final said: "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."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677