Edgar Lansbury, a Tony Award-winning producer and the younger brother of the iconic actress Angela Lansbury, has passed away at the age of 94.
David Lansbury informed The Hollywood Reporter that his father passed away on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Perhaps Lansbury’s most distinguished contribution was producing the 1974-75 Broadway revival of Gypsy, starring his sister. This production went on to win a Tony Award.
Angela Lansbury, renowned for her role in Murder, She Wrote, passed away on October 11, 2022, at the age of 96. Edgar’s twin brother, Bruce Lansbury, a distinguished producer, preceded him and Angela in death in February 2017, at the age of 87.
Edgar George Lansbury was born in London on January 12, 1930. His mother, Moyna Macgill, was a stage actress from Belfast. Meanwhile, his father, also named Edgar, was a politician and timber merchant. His grandfather, George Lansbury, was a former Labor Party leader in England and a Parliament member.
Lansbury studied art at Otis Art Institute and UCLA before becoming an art director at CBS Television City. He directed art for shows including The Red Skelton Hour, Playhouse 90, The Defenders, and the 1962 movie War Hunt.
After Working in TV, Edgar Lansbury Had a Prolific Broadway Career
However, it was on the stage that Edgar made his name. Lansbury’s debut Broadway production, The Subject Was Roses by Frank D. Gilroy in 1964, earned him a Tony Award for Best Play. His other Broadway contributions are notable, including The Only Game in Town (1968), Look to the Lilies (1970), The Magic Show (1974), American Buffalo (1977, which received a Drama Desk Nomination), and Lennon (2005).
In his later years, Lansbury also took on the role of producer for the 2011 Broadway Revival of Godspell.
His filmography features notable works such as The Wild Party. He also produced cinematic renditions of The Subject Was Roses and Godspell.
In 2007, he was honored with the John Houseman Award by The Acting Company, recognizing his dedication to fostering the growth of classical actors and expanding the theater’s national audience.
Besides his son David, an actor, he is survived by his second wife, artist Louise Peabody. He is also survived by his other children, James (an assistant director on Seinfeld), George, Michael, Brian, and Kate.