The late Angela Lansbury garnered over 110 acting credits throughout her seven decades in the industry, and one of her most iconic and beloved roles was that as Jessica Fletcher in “Murder, She Wrote.”
However, she almost did not get the part. In a 1984 interview with PEOPLE, the legendary actress revealed that showrunner Peter S. Fischer originally had someone else in mind for the role.
The late Angela Lansbury played the iconic role of Jessica Fletcher on ‘Murder, She Wrote.’
(Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)
“Peter Fischer had originally written it for Jean Stapleton, but she had just lost her husband and didn’t want to do anything,” the actress told the outlet.
Lansbury would ultimately go on to play the iconic mystery writer and amateur detective on the CBS series for its 12-season run, from 1984 to 1996.
ANGELA LANSBURY, ‘MURDER, SHE WROTE’ STAR AND LEGENDARY HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS, DEAD AT 96
“When I read it, I felt that Peter’s script could have been written for me. Besides, there are so few decent roles for women on television, and I was immediately taken by Jessica,” continued Lansbury at the time.
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Prior to landing her starring role, Lansbury had been known primarily for her work on stage.
“There was nothing exciting for me on Broadway at the moment,” Lansbury recalled. “Within the same week, I was sent two television scripts. One was a situation comedy from Norman Lear and the other was the two-hour pilot for ‘Murder, She Wrote.’”
"Murder, She Wrote" ran for 12 seasons and garnered numerous accolades.
((Photo by CBS via Getty Images))
Lansbury revealed to the outlet she was drawn to the character of Jessica Fletcher because she was a middle-aged woman who was “a vital and intelligent being.”
Throughout the 12-year run of the series, Lansbury was nominated for 10 Golden Globes and 12 Emmy Awards, winning four Golden Globes.
Angela Lansbury died Tuesday at the age of 96.
(Daniel Zuchnik)
Lansbury passed away on Tuesday at the age of 96.
