Angela Lansbury, the late, great actress, was nominated twice for an Oscar before turning 21. She also won an incredible five Tonys. In 2014, she admitted that she had moved her family from California to Ireland in the 1960s as she was afraid of Charles Manson’s association.
Lansbury discovered that her teenage children, Anthony and Deidre, had become drug addicts, along with her husband Peter Shaw.
Lansbury stated that the group started with cannabis and then moved to heroin in 2014. “There were groups up in the hills above Malibu dedicated to deadly pursuits. Although it pains me to admit it, Deidre was once in a group led by Charles Manson. He was a fascinating figure to her and many other young people knew him. It was clear that he was a remarkable character and charismatic in many aspects.
Lansbury, who was famous for her role as Jessica Fletcher in “Murder, She Wrote”, became well-known among TV viewers. She recalled telling her husband, “We have to leave.”
She stated that although she was born in London she moved her family to Ireland because it was the home of her mother. I purchased Elizabeth David’s books and learned how to properly cook. It was a great time in my life.
She said that her children were happy with the decision. “Anthony quickly got out of his bad habits. Deidre took a while longer to get married. She and her husband now reside in Los Angeles where they own an Italian restaurant.
Lansbury said that she felt dread when she looked back. Peter and I didn’t know what was going on. We had never been exposed to drugs. We didn’t understand the significance of finding a pipe hidden in a drawer. We wouldn’t know why. We didn’t know what to do. There weren’t any experts back then to offer advice to parents of children from decent families who were taking drugs, or sometimes even overdosing, on their behalf. It was almost an epidemic.
She stated her conviction that she would have lost either one or both of their two children if they weren’t moved to Ireland, where there is simplicity and simplicity.
“In the end, we found a doctor that prescribed methadone, a heroin replacement, which helped with withdrawal symptoms as Anthony, and Deidre were weaned from hard drugs. She concluded that we were very fortunate to have spotted the situation just in time.”
Lansbury won five Tonys for her roles in “Mame”, “Dear World”, “Gypsy,” and “Blithe spirit.” She also received three Oscar nominations for “Gaslight”, “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” and “The Manchurian Candidate.” Despite being only three years younger than Laurence Harvey, she made it seem plausible that she was Laurence Harvey’s mother.
Lansbury, who was 96 years old, died Tuesday. She admitted that she used to drink hard liquor as a young woman and described those nights as “my nights on the bathroom floor.” However, she stated prophetically in 2014, “I take excruciatingly good care of myself.” I get enough sleep and take lots of vitamins. This is why I don’t see any reason to live past 98.
