Dame Angela Lansbury won her first Olivier at the age of 89 at last night's Olivier Awards for best actress in a supporting role, as Madame Arcati in the West End's BLITHE SPIRIT at last night's Olivier Awards. Watch her gracious acceptance speech below!
"I'm so infinitely grateful to have this baby in my hands," she said of receiving the honor, joking, "Here I am, creeping up to 90, feeling like a million dollars. I can't remember a lot of things at this age, except I can remember my lines."
Noël Coward's sharp comedy of social mores, Blithe Spirit opened at the Gielgud Theatre on March 19, 2014. The production starred Jemima Rooper, Sandra Dickinson, Simon Jones, Patsy Ferran,Janie Dee, Charles Edwards and Angela Lansbury, and was directed by Michael Blakemore.
Angela Lansbury has enjoyed a seven-decade career, as a screen star and as an award-winning stage actor in New York and London. She made her Broadway debut in 1957 as Bert Lahr's wife in Hotel Paradiso. Her other Broadway credits include A Taste of Honey (1960), Anyone Can Whistle (1961),Mame (1966, Tony Award), Dear World (1968, Tony Award), Gypsy (1974 revival, Tony Award), Sweeney Todd (1979, Tony Award), Blithe Spirit (2009 revival, Tony Award), A Little Night Music (2009 revival), and The Best Man (2012).
Recently, she appeared with James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines in the 2013 Australian tour of Driving Miss Daisy. From 1984-1996 she starred as Jessica Fletcher on "Murder She Wrote," the longest running detective drama series in the history of television. Named a Commander of the British EMPIRE by Queen Elizabeth in 1994, she received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2000. In addition to her 5 Tony Awards, she is also the winner of 6 Golden Globe Awards and has been nominated for 3 Oscars and 18 Emmys.
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