Famed Actress and Dedicated Mother: How Angela Lansbury Saved Her Daughter from Charles Manson
By Movieguide® Staff
After the death of acting royalty Angela Lansbury, known for her iconic singing voice and captivating characters, people took time to remember some of her iconic roles.
But behind her roles as Mrs. Potts in THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST or Mrs. Eleanor Shaw Iselin in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, Lansbury was a dedicated mother to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre, and David.
Lansbury was as protective of a mother of her children off the screen as she was a talented actress on one.
In an interview with Daily Mail from 2014, Lansbury recalled how she protected her daughter, Deirdre, from cult leader Charles Manson.
“It pains me to say it but, at one stage, Deidre was in with a crowd led by Charles Manson. She was one of many youngsters who knew him — and they were fascinated. He was an extraordinary character, charismatic in many ways, no question about it,” she recalled.
“Certainly, I have no doubt we would have lost one or both of our two if they hadn’t been removed to a completely different milieu,” she added. “It started with cannabis but moved on to heroin. There were factions up in the hills above Malibu that were dedicated to deadly pursuits.”
However, when Lansbury learned of her children’s habits, she took the initiative to protect her children.
“‘I said to [husband] Peter, ‘We have to leave.’ So we upped sticks and moved the family to a house I found in County Cork. I was drawn to Ireland because it was the birthplace of my mother and it was also somewhere my children wouldn’t be exposed to any more bad influences,” she said.
“Anthony pulled right out of his bad habits quite quickly. It took Deidre… a little longer but she finally got married and she and her husband now live in Los Angeles, where they run their own Italian restaurant,” the actress continued. “Peter and I had no idea what had been going on. But then we had no experience of drugs. We didn’t know the significance of finding a pipe in a drawer. Why would we? And when we did, we didn’t know how to help them. Nor were there any experts back then who could offer advice to the parents of kids from good families who were using, and sometimes overdosing on, drugs. It was like an epidemic.”
Lansbury recently died at the age of 96 in Los Angeles, California.
Movieguide® previously shared:
Legendary actress Angela Lansbury died on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at age 96.
“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 a.m. today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” her family says in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
“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,” the statement adds. “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 was the longstanding star of MURDER, SHE WROTE, and appeared in movies such as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, as well as the Movieguide® Award-Winning MARY POPPINS RETURNS and THE GRINCH.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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