Angela Lansbury Dies at 96, the Queer Community Mourns the Loss of an Icon

Whether you first met her as the blowsy maid in Gaslight, the amiable but murderous Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd,” or the practical, romantic Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast, chances are you fell in love with Angela Lansbury at first sight.

Today, queer fans around the world mourned the loss of a woman who brought some of their favorite screen and stage roles to life over the course of seven decades in show business.

Rest in peace, Angela Lansbury. Truly one of the greatest, most versatile actresses to have ever lived. She made us laugh, she made us sob, she chilled our blood, and every single time she did it with such ease and excellence. She defined the essence of being a legend. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/pVxmLphydM

— 𝖇𝖔𝕺𝖔𝕺𝖔𝕺𝖒𝖆𝖘 👻 (@cinema_gay) October 11, 2022

She spent her life bringing hilarious, complicated women to life onscreen, and queer folks will forever be grateful.

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 fucking legend. pic.twitter.com/EXdHQbnmfo

— Slade (@Slade) October 11, 2022

Imagine single-handedly fending off a Nazi invasion using witchcraft and that not even being your most iconic or best remembered role. Angela Lansbury had the range. pic.twitter.com/VNyASfOgGe

— Philip J. Ellis ❤️💎 Preorder LOVE & OTHER SCAMS (@Philip_Ellis) October 11, 2022

For so many of us, she stood for what theater can do at its best.

RIP Angela Lansbury. This is what stardom means, especially in the theater: she provided the most fabulous, irreplaceable joy. She was beloved as a person and an actress, and managed to be approachable, glamorous and heartbreaking. She’ll be missed, celebrated and adored pic.twitter.com/8HVhQRFv4C

— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) October 11, 2022

Her work onscreen was no less impressive: in cartoons, espionage dramas, musical revues, and murder mysteries, she brought her whole heart to each role she played.

rest in peace, the absolute legend and superstar, dame angela lansbury. you were the hero of so many of my childhood memories. your pioneering work and outstanding talent will always be remembered and treasured ♥️ pic.twitter.com/2rNl0CIOgW

— sophia ✨ (@musicallaneous) October 11, 2022

Not only that: she consistently stood up for what was right. The queer community loved her, and she loved us right back.

During the worst years of the AIDS crisis, Angela Lansbury was a staple at AIDS benefits, helping raise millions of dollars to fund AIDS research & patient care. “This illness is robbing us of our friends and our futures. This disease knows no discrimination.” https://t.co/6jUwswZ2eT pic.twitter.com/rMMaoIEG35

— Eric Gonzaba (@EGonzaba) October 11, 2022

And we can’t forget her incredible style:

RIP to a great actress and style icon for the ages (especially for librarians) pic.twitter.com/RYsLX6VYWc

— Rebecca Baumann (@arkhamlibrarian) October 11, 2022

The theater world would have been so much poorer–and so much less queer–without this woman’s endless contributions.

Angela Lansbury
1925 – 2022

💔

“Thank you, moon lady.” pic.twitter.com/4skzj1Qhcu

— Burnside Gooch (@akakarenwilson) October 11, 2022

How can we say thank you? Simply by remembering.

Rest in peace Angela Lansbury. There was truly not a single thing this legend couldn’t do brilliantly, and she continued doing it longer than most of us could even dream to ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Q9F1GbPObW

— Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) October 11, 2022

bea arthur & angela lansbury performing “bosom buddies” from MAME at the 1987 tonys 🕊️🤍 pic.twitter.com/6NJRIY144C

— hot girl midsommar (@verymimi) October 11, 2022