The Story of Angela Lansbury Who Found Love After Marrying a Gay Man

Love is not always easy. Some people are lucky enough to find their soulmate on the first try; others have to struggle to keep romance afloat, and then some never get to experience it. Angela Lansbury is a British American actress and singer who has been part of the movie industry for more than 80 years, most of which she spent with her beloved husband, Peter Shaw. However, to find her happy ending, she had to go through many obstacles during her youth.

Her rise to stardom was smooth and natural.

Angela Lansbury was born in East London and emigrated to the United States with her family during World War II. Ever since she was a child, she had a passion for books, theater, and films. She began to cultivate her acting skills when she was living in New York. After moving to Los Angeles, Lansbury signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and she appeared in 13 films produced by the studio. Unlike many of her colleagues, her rise to stardom was smooth and relatively easy.

She met her first husband at an early age.

Lansbury was only 19 when she married actor Richard Cromwell. They got married in 1945 but separated less than a year later. The couple did not disclose the reason for their divorce at first, but many years later, Lansbury revealed the truth.

Even though their marriage was destined to fail, it did not leave a scar.

As she once said, the age difference was not the only obstacle. The handsome and fabulous man she fell madly in love with turned out to be gay. Lansbury said that, despite this, she did not regret her marriage to Cromwell and they remained good friends for life.

From the beginning of her career, she achieved one accomplishment after another.

From the very first moment Lansbury started her acting career, she received an Oscar nomination for her film debut The Dying Light, and this was just the beginning. With five Tonys under her belt, she is the second most-awarded performer of all time. Queen Elizabeth II recognized her worth and promoted her at Windsor Castle to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 New Year’s Honors for her services to theater, charitable work, and philanthropy. This title made her part of an elite group of wonderful women, such as Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

Another man won her heart, and their love lasted a lifetime.

After a failed marriage and many successes in her acting career, Lansbury fell in love again. In 1949, she said yes to English actor and producer Peter Shaw. Their marriage lasted more than five decades, which is quite an accomplishment in the Hollywood film industry. Lansbury and Shaw were partners at work and lovers at home. By her own admission, they were everything to each other, and that’s what made their marriage last so long.

She finally found the secret of true love.

As Lansbury said, what made them a perfect match was that they had the same kind of energy. They didn’t think there were unsolvable problems. The love and devotion they cultivated served as an inspiration to their friends and colleagues.

After the pain caused by his loss, Lansbury was able to find a reason to be happy again.

Needless to say, Shaw’s death left Lansbury grief-stricken. Losing her beloved husband sent her into a depressive state. As she said in an interview for CNN, she didn’t want to force herself to go out and act as if everything was fine, “I just knew I had to wait, and the time would come when I would have to emerge again and find a way to repair the rift inside my soul.” Finally, after a while, she managed to move on with her life knowing that her late husband would want her to continue, and she eventually regained her wonderful smile.

What’s the secret to a happy marriage?