Most people think of Dame Angela Lansbury as the quintessential wise, steady presence—the face of Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote or the voice of the motherly Mrs. Potts. We tend to view her through that lens of permanent stability. But when people ask, was Angela Lansbury married, they often expect a simple "yes" and a story about a long-term Hollywood romance.
The reality? It's a bit more complicated.
She was actually married twice. The first one was a whirlwind that crashed almost as fast as it started. The second was a legendary 54-year partnership that basically redefined what a "power couple" looked like in the golden age of cinema and television.
Honestly, the contrast between her two marriages tells you a lot about the woman herself. She was someone who could navigate a massive personal mistake with total grace and then turn around and build a life of incredible loyalty and professional collaboration.
The Secret First Marriage: Richard Cromwell
Back in 1945, Angela was just 19 years old. She was a rising star at MGM, fresh off an Oscar nomination for her very first film, Gaslight. She was young, incredibly talented, and maybe a little impulsive. She eloped with Richard Cromwell, a handsome actor and artist who was 15 years older than her.
It didn't last. At all.
Nine months later, the marriage was over. Why? Because Richard Cromwell was gay.
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Kinda shocking for the time, right? Angela later admitted she had absolutely no idea. She was just a teenager who found him charming and attractive. Cromwell had reportedly hoped that marrying a young, beautiful actress might "cure" his sexuality or at least provide a convincing cover in an era when being gay could end a career instantly.
He left her a note saying he couldn't go on.
Most people would be bitter after something like that. Not Angela. She stayed friends with him until he passed away in 1960. She even said later in life that she didn't regret the marriage because it was a "terrible error" made in youth, but he remained a lovely person in her eyes. It's a weirdly wholesome ending to a situation that usually ends in a tabloid firestorm.
Peter Shaw: The Love That Lasted 54 Years
If the first marriage was a fluke, the second was the real deal. In 1949, Angela married Peter Shaw. You might not know the name as well as hers, but he was a massive part of her success. He was a British actor turned high-powered agent and producer.
They weren't just husband and wife; they were a business.
Was Angela Lansbury married to someone who supported her career? Absolutely. Shaw eventually became her manager. He was the one who pushed her to take the role in Murder, She Wrote when she wasn't sure about doing television. He knew it would be a hit before she did.
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They had two children together, Anthony and Deirdre, and Angela also became a stepmother to Peter’s son, David, from a previous marriage. Their life together wasn't all red carpets and award shows, though. They dealt with some heavy stuff, including their children’s struggles with drug addiction in the 1960s.
The Big Move to Ireland
This is a part of her marriage story that sounds like a movie script. In 1970, their house in Malibu burned down in a brushfire. At the same time, Angela realized her kids were getting involved with some really bad crowds in Los Angeles—including a brief, terrifying brush with the Charles Manson "family."
So, what did she and Peter do? They packed up and moved the whole family to County Cork, Ireland.
She basically quit Hollywood for a year to be a full-time mom and wife. She cooked, she gardened, and she got her kids away from the "bad influences" of California. She credited that move, and Peter’s support, with literally saving her children’s lives. It’s a side of her people rarely saw—the fiercely protective mother who prioritized her family over her booming career.
A Partnership Until the Very End
Peter Shaw passed away in 2003 from heart failure. Angela was devastated. They had been together for over half a century.
She often said that they made every single decision together. If she was working on a play in New York, he was there. if he was producing a show, she was the star. They were a unit. After he died, she famously said, "I don't know how we had such a long marriage, but the simple fact was that we were devoted to one another."
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It’s rare to see that kind of longevity in Hollywood. No scandals. No messy public divorces (after the first one, anyway). Just two people who genuinely liked each other.
Quick Facts About Angela Lansbury’s Marriages
- First Husband: Richard Cromwell (1945–1946).
- Second Husband: Peter Shaw (1949–2003).
- Total Years Married: 54 years (with Shaw).
- Children: Anthony Pullen Shaw and Deirdre Angela Shaw.
- Stepchild: David Shaw.
Why Her Marriage Story Matters Now
In a world where celebrity relationships seem to last about as long as a TikTok trend, Angela Lansbury’s life offers a different perspective. She showed that you can bounce back from a "mistake" marriage and find something that actually works.
She also proved that a successful woman doesn't have to choose between a massive career and a stable home life. She had both, largely because she chose a partner who wasn't threatened by her light.
If you’re looking into the life of this Hollywood icon, her marriages are more than just footnotes. They are the backdrop to everything she accomplished. From the heartbreak of her first marriage to the "perfect" partnership with Peter, Angela Lansbury’s personal life was just as legendary as her acting.
How to Learn More About Angela's Life
If you're interested in the deeper details of how she managed her career and family, there are a few things you can do next:
- Watch her interviews: Search for her 2014 interview with the Daily Mail where she discusses her "perfect relationship" with Peter Shaw.
- Read her biography: Angela Lansbury: A Life on Stage and Screen by Rob Edelman and Audrey E. Kupferberg goes into great detail about her time in Ireland.
- Check out Corymore Productions: This was the company she and Peter started together. Seeing the work they produced gives you a real sense of their professional bond.
She lived to be 96, and most of those years were spent either building a family or maintaining the one she had. It’s a pretty incredible legacy.