Angela Lansbury's 'Murder, She Wrote' Co-Star Louis Herthum Speaks out on Her Death
Murder, She Wrote star Louis Herthum remembered Dame Angela Lansbury as "by far the classiest person" he ever met during his career. Herthum starred as Deputy Andy Broom in five seasons of the show with Lansbury. The Beauty and the Beast star died on Tuesday at 96, just a few days shy of her 97th birthday.
"It is a very sad day for millions of people around the world," Herthum shared on Instagram Tuesday afternoon. "And particularly for those of us who were fortunate enough to have had the honor and privilege of working with, and for the amazing Angela Lansbury on Murder, She Wrote. I had that privilege for five years."
"Angela was by far the classiest person I ever met in the entertainment industry and among the classiest, I ever met in life," Herthum continued. "I will always treasure those times and will always be grateful to her for allowing me to be a part of something that will live on, as will she, for so many years to come."
Herthum said he still kept in contact with Lansbury in recent years, making sure to always send her a "happy birthday" email on Oct. 16. "She would always respond with a most appreciative and enthusiastic 'Thank you so much for remembering, Louis,' accompanied of course by returned well wishes," Herthum wrote. "There will never be another like her."
Herthum also sent his thoughts to Ron Mosak, 86, who played his boss, Sheriff Mort Metzger, and other members of the Murder, She Wrote team. The actor also sent his condolences to Lansbury's family.
Murder, She Wrote was created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson, and William Link, and ran for 12 seasons on CBS from 1984 to 1996. Lansbury starred as Jessica Fletcher, a mystery writer, and amateur detective who often gets involved in solving murders in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine. After the show ended, CBS aired four television movies between 1997 and 2003. The show is available to stream on Peacock and The Roku Channel.
Lansbury died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Her career stretched back to 1944 when she made her film debut in Gaslight, which earned her the first Oscar nomination of her career. She also earned nominations for The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Manchurian Candidate, before receiving an honorary Oscar in 2014. Lansbury earned a record 12 Emmy nominations for Murder, She Wrote. She won five Tony Awards for her work on Broadway and was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2014.