Remembering Angela Lansbury: Actress Dies at 96

credit: Gaslight

Legends won’t be here forever, but thankfully their memories, especially when recorded, will be preserved for future generations to enjoy, should they wish to know how and why the current state of entertainment has been allowed to flourish. In all fairness, it is a concentrated effort made by many within the entertainment industry, both those who are famous and stand in front of the camera and those who are not seen, helping to create the magic from behind the scenes. Those such as Angela Lansbury, who has been around for decades, creating a presence within the industry that can easily be labeled as impressive and inspirational in many ways, have done a great deal to push entertainment forward by contributing their own talents. Sadly, there comes a day when the people we’ve come to enjoy and admire are no longer with us, as the bill comes due for all of us at some point. The best any individual can hope for is that they will be remembered fondly by those who are left behind and will leave several great memories that those who remember them will gladly share with those who will listen. 

credit: Murder She Wrote

Angela was easy to remember throughout the span of her career. 

There are plenty among those of us that have watched and/or heard of Angela that will likely share memories of her career, or at least what they remember. Those who belong to the older generations will no doubt think back to her movie career, while those of us who were born within the last thirty to forty years might remember reruns of the popular show known as Murder, She Wrote, as this was without any doubt one of Angela’s greatest contributions to the TV industry, even if it was just something to watch when there was nothing on. I joke a bit about this since, for a young kid who needed something to watch and a bit of background noise to help focus on other things, this show did the trick since it was a program that allowed Angela to tell a story and to remain as a treasured part of the industry that many people would come to remember. There’s no doubt that many people have their own memories of the show and the woman, but from a personal standpoint, hearing her voice on the TV and realizing it was that time of the day is a fond memory that isn’t quite complete, but is still a pleasing part of childhood and adolescence that will be remembered for some time to come. 

Her contributions to film and TV are known to several generations. 

Over the years, Angela managed to amass a great number of credits and created what would eventually become a legendary career that has allowed many people to remember her, either by her name alone. To think that so many people from so many different generations would know who this woman was is uplifting as well as intriguing since trying to ask anyone who is under 20 who Angela tends to yield results that are spotty at best since, like it or not, each new generation will tend to lose an idea of who came before the stars they know now, and will thereby need a history lesson on who the celebrities of today based their rise to fame on. Angela Lansbury has been an inspiration for many actors over the years, and it shows in many ways since no matter if she had difficulties during her rise to fame, she still became a respected member of the entertainment industry that was bound to be remembered for many years to come. 

credit: Beauty and the Beast

It’s fun to note that she didn’t confine herself to one style of acting. 

One of the worst things an actor could ever do is fail or refuse to diversify, and like many who came after her, Angela managed to ply her skills on stage, in movies, and on TV for years. Several of her roles allowed her to become one of the best-known names in entertainment. But a lot of people that remember her at all will remember her for the role of Mrs. Potts from the animated version of Beauty and the Beast. This is how a lot of people in their 30s and 40s will likely remember her, and it’s just as good of a memory as any other than people will hold concerning Angela in the years to come. 

She’ll be missed, there’s no denying that. 

As I mentioned above, no one gets to stick around forever, but memories will always last far longer. While it is a time to mourn and lament her loss, it’s also a time to look back and remember what she’s done for the industry and why she’ll be remembered fondly by so many. Rest in peace, ma’am. You will be missed.