Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury is a British actress, dancer and singer, who was born on October 16, 1925, to an upper-middle class family. Dubbed the “First Lady of the Musical Theatre” by the New York Times, she has wowed audience on stage, in film, and on television. She is a five-time Tony Award winner, and has more than 14 Broadway credits to her name.  She has been nominated for 18 Primetime Emmy Awards in her storied career.  

Parents: Her parents were Irish actress Moyna Macgill and English politician Edgar Lansbury. 

Spouse:  Richard Cromwell (1945-1946), Peter Shaw (1949-2003)

Children: David Shaw, Anthony Peter Shaw, Deidre Ann Shaw

Height: 5’7″ (1.71 m)

Net Worth: $70 million

Zodiac: Libra

Charities: Actors Fund of America, Abused Wives in Crisis, Democratic Party, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

Trivia: 

• Won five Tony Awards for her performances on Broadway.
• Won six Golden Globe Awards for  performances on television and film. 
• Queen Elizabeth II appointed her a Dame Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2014 for services to the dramatic arts.
• Was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013 to recognize her achievements. 
• Has held the record for most Emmy Award losses: 18 Emmy nominations, no wins. 
• Accomplished horse rider.
• Was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – one for television, the other for film. 
• Played the piano.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald was her favorite author.
• Favorite television shows, Seinfeld and Roseanne .
• Named as the “First Lady of Musical Theatre” by the New York Times.
• British Academy of Film and Television awarded her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

Quotes: 

• “Here I am, I still go on, you know, like the tides.”
• “The theater is magical and addictive.” 
• “Being on stage is the most thrilling feeling in the world. It’s the most powerful feeling in the world. It’s quite intoxicating.”
• “You cannot assume, or take anything for granted in a marriage, ever.”
• “I have never regretted what I turned down.” 
• “I lead a very regimented life. I take a lot of vitamins, get enough sleep, don’t drink, apart from a glass of wine occasionally.”
• “Bringing humor and bringing joy to an audience is a wonderful opportunity in life, believe me.”
• “I don’t take credit for what I do, I think of it as a God-given talent.”
• “As a woman, I understand the necessity – that marriage has to be worked at, all the time.”
• “My imagination just contained this picture of myself being able to do this, being able to perform, to be able to take the stage, to be able to command an audience, to be able to sing, and to be able to dance.”
• “Those of us who are the receivers of talent, we must use it, we must not waste it. We must’nt fritter it away, and we must not mishandle it.”