Ruta Lee is mourning the loss of fellow actress Angela Lansbury.
The British star who famously solved endless murders as crime novelist Jessica Fletcher in the TV series “Murder, She Wrote,” died on Tuesday. She was 96.
Lee, who got her big break when she was cast in 1954’s “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” appeared in a 1990 episode of Lansbury’s hit show. “Murder, She Wrote” aired from 1984 until 1996.
“She was very warm and gracious,” Lee recalled to Fox News Digital. “She made it a point of saying, ‘I’m so glad you’re on the set with us, and thank you,’ to everyone on set, including me. Even though she was very busy and had lots of lines to learn, she was always wonderful. She did everything with great style and gusto. It was so lovely to spend time with her. A true class act.”
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Angela Lansbury starred as Jessica Fletcher in the hit TV series ‘Murder, She Wrote’.
(Randy Marcus/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
“She had a genuine warmth,” Lee continued. “A lot of people can play gracious and happy, but she was the real deal. She made you feel comfortable and there was just this tremendous warmth about her. There was also an elegance about her. I immediately felt it on that very first day when she reached out with her hand and said, ‘Welcome, Ruta, I’m so glad you’re here with us.’ She was elegant, she was British, she had great style and a lot of pizazz. What’s not to love?”
Lee said that before guest-starring in the series, she wrote numerous letters to Lansbury in hopes of honoring her at The Thalians, a charitable organization dedicated to mental health awareness. Debbie Reynolds was elected president two years after it was launched in 1955. She remained there for over 50 years.
“Angela probably got tired of me calling and sending her letters every year saying, ‘Come be our honoree,'” Lee chuckled. “She finally gave in and said, ‘Oh hell all right, I’ll do it!’ But you know, it’s hard to find people who are willing to give back some of that good stuff that has come their way. And when I say good stuff, I mean time and talent. Not everyone pays it forward when God gives you something good… Angela was modest, but she was one of those people we wanted to honor. And it was just wonderful to celebrate such talent.”
On Oct. 31, 1992, Lansbury was honored at the 37th Annual Thalians Ball in Century City, California.
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Debbie Reynolds, left, Angela Lansbury and Ruta Lee attend the 37th Annual Thalians Ball at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California, on Oct. 31, 1992.
(Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
“At first, we thought, ‘My God, kids are out on Halloween and trick or treating – families are with them and they won’t come,'” Lee explained. “But we decided to create a beautiful masked ball, a Venetian-style event. And everyone showed up for Angela. I remember when Angela stood up, you just saw Bea Arthur, Jerry Herman, just everyone, giving this roaring applause. She was truly loved.”
“She was marvelous – and she will be missed,” Lee added.
Lansbury’s widest fame began in 1984 when she launched “Murder, She Wrote” on CBS. Based loosely on Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories, the series centered on Jessica Fletcher, a middle-aged widow and former substitute school teacher living in the seaside village of Cabot Cove, Maine. She had achieved notice as a mystery novelist and amateur sleuth.
Lansbury once described how she found the first season exhausting.
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“Murder, She Wrote” aired from 1984 until 1996.
(Randy Marcus/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
“I was shocked when I learned that I had to work 12-15 hours a day, relentlessly, day in, day out,” she recalled. “I had to lay down the law at one point and say ‘Look, I can’t do these shows in seven days; it will have to be eight days.'”
CBS and the production company, Universal Studio, agreed, especially since “Murder, She Wrote” had become a Sunday night hit. Despite the long days – she left her home at Brentwood in West Los Angeles at 6 a.m. and returned after dark – and reams of dialogue to memorize, Lansbury maintained a steady pace. She was pleased that Jessica Fletcher served as an inspiration for older women.
“Women in motion pictures have always had a difficult time being role models for other women,” she observed. “They’ve always been considered glamorous in their jobs.”
“Murder, She Wrote” stayed high in the ratings through its 11th year. Then CBS, seeking a younger audience for Sunday night, shifted the series to a less favorable midweek slot. Lansbury protested vigorously to no avail. As expected, the ratings plummeted and the show was canceled. For consolation, CBS contracted for two-hour movies of “Murder, She Wrote” and other specials starring Lansbury.
ANGELA LANSBURY LEFT BEHIND THESE WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THE WORLD
Angela Lansbury poses with her Dame Commander (DBE) medal given to her by Queen Elizabeth II at an Investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on April 15, 2014.
(Steve Parsons-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Murder, She Wrote” and other television work brought her 18 Emmy nominations, but she never won one. She holds the record for the most Golden Globe nominations and wins for best actress in a television drama series and the most Emmy nominations for lead actress in a drama series.
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 Associated Press contributed to this report.
