Angela Lansbury’s Gay Ex-Husband Left Her A Vague Note That Transformed Her Life

Oct 12, 2022

Angela Lansbury is one of the most prolific actresses in the music and entertainment industry. With a career spanning eight decades, the British-Irish actress is regarded as one of the most important figures in American and British entertainment history. While she continued to enjoy the fruits of her hard-earned labor, Lansbury peacefully died with the comfort of her family and friends in her sleep at her Los Angeles home last Oct. 11, 2022 – five days away before her 97th birthday. 

"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. 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," the family's statement said, as reported by People Magazine. 

Best known for her roles in "The Manchurian Candidate," "Mame," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and "Murder, She Wrote," Angela has also lent her voice to popular animation films such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Anastasia."

She's been the recipient of many awards over her lengthy career, including an Honorary Academy Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BAFTA. She's also won an incredible five Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, and an Olivier Award, among many other nominations.

But on top of her stellar career, Angela has also had a very eventful personal life. At the age of 19, Angela married actor Richard Cromwell, who was 35 at the time. Less than a year later, the couple divorced, but it wasn't due to their age difference. She only knew about the real cause of their split months later after her ex-husband had already left her. 

But before Angela Lansbury had met her first-husband, Richard Cromwell, she first experienced what it felt like to be an emerging star in the history-setting era of what would be the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

Acting in a film with established Hollywood players like Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, and Joseph Cotten could have intimidated even a seasoned pro. It's all the more remarkable then how 17-year-old Lansbury, having no prior film experience, more than held her own in such a company. It's a sign of the professionalism that has always come naturally to the actress — a trait that would serve her well over decades and decades of a long and illustrious career. 

How did a completely unknown young actress even wind up in a Hollywood film in 1944? As Variety reported, MGM had found it increasingly difficult to cast the small but pivotal role of Nancy, a headstrong young maid, during the pre-production of "Gaslight." Thankfully, co-scripter John Van Druten had the right inspiration. Even though Van Druten only knew Lansbury through her job in a department store, he could tell that she had what the character needed. 

She even managed to get an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. The movie's success and her great performance earned Lansbury a contract with MGM. A mere year later, she received her second Oscar nomination for her performance in "The Picture of Dorian Gray."

However, the early 1940s wasn't all about her rise to stardom, as this was also around the time that she would meet her first husband, the dashing actor-turned-artist Richard Cromwell, who happened to be 15 years older than Lansbury. 

Angela Lansbury and Richard Cromwell's marriage was short-lived. The couple tied the knot on Sept. 27, 1945, in Independence, California. 

Nothing much is known about the couple's marriage at the time. But to everyone's surprise, not more than a year later after their marriage, Lansbury found herself at the other side of the bed all alone. 

In 1946, Lansbury and Cromwell had a divorce. At the time, it wasn't particularly clear to the actress what went wrong in their relationship. 

According to Daily Mail, Lansbury arrived home one day and found a rather reserved and vague note from Cromwell:

"Sorry. I can't go on," the letter read. 

Lansbury was in a tailspin at the time – confused, distraught, and helpless about knowing what caused their marriage to fall apart. It was only a few months later that a publicist informed her that Cromwell was actually gay. 

Decades later, Lansbury opened up to Radio Times, as reported by Attitude:

"I had no idea that I was marrying a gay man. I found him such an attractive individual. He wanted to marry, he was fascinated with me, but only because of what he had seen on the screen. It didn't injure or damage me in any way because he maintained a friendship with me and my future husband. It was just a terrible error I made as a very young woman. But I don't regret it," she further elaborated. 

Tragically, Richard Cromwell tragically passed away in 1960 because of liver cancer. 

As for Lansbury, it would seem like life had given her a huge heartbreak only to lead her on his greatest love story as she met Peter Shaw, who had been her husband for almost six decades until he passed away January 2003.

What do you think of her marriage with Richard Cromwell? Do you believe that she was destined to meet Peter Shaw? Let us know, and be sure to send this to your family and friends, too.