Angela Lansbury’s Kids: Meet Her Blended Family

Murder, She Wrote actress Angela Lansbury had a career full of incredible accolades and breakthrough roles. The actress died at 96 years old on October 11, 2022.

“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,” Closer Weekly confirmed in a statement.

Throughout her time in the spotlight, the five-time Tony Award winner eventually found the balance of juggling her busy career while raising her children, Anthony Shaw and Deidre Shaw, with her second husband, Peter Shaw. Peter also had one child, David Shaw, from a previous relationship, whom Angela views as her own.

“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 continued. “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.”

Angela, born in London in 1925, began her theater career in the ‘40s before pivoting to films. In 1944, she landed a role in the film Gaslight. The Broadway star earned a Best Supporting Actress nod at the Academy Awards that year, marking the beginning of a lifetime full of award-winning performances.

Angela married her first husband, Richard Cromwell, in 1945. The pair were divorced one year later and did not have any children together. The Little Women actress when on to marry Peter in 1949, and welcomed his son, David, into her life with open arms. The couple welcomed their first child, Anthony, in January 1952. Their daughter, Deidre, was born in April 1953.

After becoming a mom, the Mame actress continued to snag roles in films like 1954’s A Life at Stake, 1955’s A Lawless Street and 1956’s The Long, Hot Summer. She went on to make her Broadway debut in 1957 in Hotel Paradiso. Later on in her career, Angela did admit that fame and work were at the forefront of her life.

“As soon as I had the babies I went on a diet and I was back in business,” she said in a March 2014 interview. “I regret that. You have to be with your children.”

Eventually, the family moved from Malibu to Ireland and Angela put her time and energy into working on her relationships with her children. She remained married to Peter until his death in 2003 from heart failure. The Law & Order actress also took pride in her role as a great-grandmother.

“One of the biggest joys for me right now is my family. I’ve just become a great-grandma for the first time. It’s my grandson Peter’s first child — now that feels pretty wonderful,” Angela told Woman & Home in December 2017. “And of course, I’m doing all the spoiling. If there’s one thing I want more time for at this stage of my life, it’s them.”

Keep scrolling to meet Angela’s three children.

David Shaw

Angela’s stepson David has had nothing but nice things to say about the film maven. “She’s a great lady,” he told Closer exclusively in July 2019. “I came in and she didn’t have to have me. It was an incredible thing to do. She always put family first.”

David went on to follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming the President of Corymore Productions, the company Peter started in 1987. The group was responsible for producing the long-running drama series Murder, She Wrote on CBS, which ran from 1984 to 1996. In 1996, David led the company to sign a major development deal with Universal Television.

“We’re happy to keep our roots firmly planted here at the studio,” the entertainment mogul told The Morning Call at the time. “We’ve had a long and successful association with both the former and the present management team and we look forward to developing more successful projects together.”

Anthony Shaw

Anthony, much like his stepbrother, also became involved in show business at an early age. He appeared in the films A Bridge Too Far and The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977. In addition to several acting credits, Anthony also directed and produced 68 episodes of Murder, She Wrote. In 1982, he joined his mother in the Broadway play A Little Family Business.

Now retired from the world of TV directing, the actor is married to Lee Speer Webster. The pair have three children together: Peter John Shaw, Katherine Beeson Shaw, and Ian Lansbury Shaw.