April 16, 2014— -- Make that Dame Angela Lansbury.
The 88-year-old Hollywood legend, best known for playing Jessica Fletcher in the popular TV series "Murder, She Wrote" was made a Dame by the Queen, who bestowed the honor Tuesday for the actress' lifetime of acting and charity work.
"It is a very proud day for me to be recognized by the country of my birth, and to meet the queen under these circumstances is a rare and lovely occasion," Lansbury, who is a year older than the British monarch, told Sky News.
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Dame Angela, as she will now be known, was born in the UK but left for the US as a child during World War Two, following the death of her father.
Her career includes countless roles in films as diverse as "Bedknobs And Broomsticks," "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Blue Hawaii," alongside Elvis Presley. She has been nominated for an Academy Award three times, including for her on-screen debut in the 1944 thriller "Gaslight," and was given an honorary Oscar last year.
"[The Oscar] is for my work in motion pictures and this is for the overall accomplishments of my life as an actress," she said in the interview. "It has afforded me the joy of working in America and also in England a great deal."
The actress is currently in London, where she is starring in a revival of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" at the Gielgud Theatre. It's the first time in nearly 40 years that she has been on the London stage, reprising the role of Madame Arcati which won her a Tony award on Broadway.
Lansbury joins an exclusive group of acting Dames that includes Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren and Elizabeth Taylor.
