The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that the irreplaceable Angela Lansbury will be awarded a special Tony Award For Lifetime Achievement at this year's ceremony, according to a report from Deadline.
Lansbury is best known for her role as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote, the beloved murder mystery series that followed the middle-aged widow as she solved mysteries in her small Maine town. However, Lansbury has had an extensive career in film, television, and theater. Lansbury made her Broadway debut all the way back in 1957 in the play Hotel Paradiso. That role was followed by A Taste of Honey in 1960, and Anyone Can Whistle in 1964. She then won her first Tony Award in 1966 for Mame. She later also won Tony Awards for her roles in Dear World in 1969, Gypsy in 1974, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 1979. Lansbury took an extended break from the stage but returned in 2007 for Deuce. Then in 2009, she appeared in Blithe Spirit which earned her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
For her silver screen career, Lansbury made her debut at only seventeen in the film Gaslight. She also appeared in National Velvet, Nancy McPhee, Beauty and the Beast, The Three Musketeers, and Mary Poppins Returns, among other notable roles.
Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, President, and CEO of the American Theatre Wing made a statement regarding Lansbury being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, saying, “Angela Lansbury’s contributions to the stage are insurmountable.” The statement continued, “From her groundbreaking role in Mame to her iconic performances in Deuce and Sweeney Todd, and most recently, in the revival of A Little Night Music, Ms. Lansbury has given us a lifetime of unforgettable performances, and it is a great honor to present her with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award.”
The newest award is certainly deserved by Lansbury who, over her long-spanning and award studded career, has often gone under the radar. Her work as a character actress has always singled her out as one of the industry's most capable performers.
She will be given the award at The 75th Annual Tony Awards, which will be hosted by Ariana DeBose. The ceremony will air live on Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 8:00 pm ET and 5:00 pm PT. The ceremony will air on both CBS and Paramount+. Julianne Hough and Darren Criss will host the pre-show, The Tony Awards: Act One, which will stream live on Paramount+ at 7:00 pm ET and 4:00 pm PT.