Let’s put this Lansbury rumor to bed

A debunking? GOD THAT"S GOOD!
A debunking? GOD THAT’S GOOD!

Let’s get this out of the way: Angela Lansbury is not going to be on Game of Thrones. It was a rumor started a couple months ago by German tabloid Bild, and unfortunately it’s taken on a life of its own, periodically resurfacing when we’re starved for news. Our sources have told us unofficially that it was not happening and to just forget about it, but there has been no official word on it from HBO.

Anyway, Entertainment Weekly today went ahead and contacted Lansbury’s people and finally got a clear word on the matter: Angela Lansbury is not going to be on Game of Thrones.

Not that I wouldn’t love for Lansbury to be on GoT, since she starred as Mrs. Lovett in my all-time favorite musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. She’s brilliant, hilarious, and wicked in a way you might be surprised to see from Jessica Fletcher of Cabot Cove, Maine.

Currently, Lansbury is 90 years old and works rather sporadically, so perhaps it wasn’t meant to be. But hey, Mrs. Lovett and GoT both have a knack for cannibalism so forgive if I’ll continue to hope Lansbury finds her way to Westeros someday.

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

32 Comments

  1. I’m not sorry. Not a fan I’m afraid. She’s twee and saccharine. Murder She Wrote was so cheesy. ? Doesn’t work for me although I respect her for what she’s achieved over a very lengthy career.

  2. I DON’T BELIEVE YOU. I WANTED IT TO BE REAL AND THEREFORE MY BELIEF ALONE MAKES IT SO. JUST WAIT AND SEE, IM GONNA LAUGH SO HARD!
    –the Lansbury/LSH/daarioIsBenVic /highReedSparrow crowd

  3. sounded like rubbish, plus she’s so well known it would be jarring to see her in GoT

    Thanks for clarifying

  4. Halfman,

    I agree with you, respect to her as a very successful actress but I am not a fan either!

    But yeah, seen this rumour mentioned many times!

    I wonder why rumours are started with absolutely no rhyme or reason

  5. But hey, Mrs. Lovett and GoT both have a knack for cannibalism so forgive if I’ll continue to hope Lansbury finds her way to Westeros someday.

    Loved this. Mrs. Lovett for the win.

  6. I thought they were, perhaps, going to use her to investigate who really killed Jon Aryn, in a lead-up to Littlefinger’s downfall. Either that, or they were going to substitute a singing teapot for

    an obsidian candle

    at the Citadel. 😉

    (no disrespect toward Ms. Lansbury intended)

  7. Angela Lansbury is not going to be on GoT, but I heard they were in talks with Bernadette Peters….

  8. This is horrible but I really thought she had died some time ago…I don’t know what the hell she would do in GOT.

  9. Thank R’hllor! I keep seeing this all over social media and have been putting friends straight for a week now.

    I mean, haven’t we lost enough beloved characters without the accursed Jessica Fletcher turning up leaving a trail of corpses in her wake?!

    She’s probably the only author who has a higher body count than GRRM 🙂

  10. I guess I was under a rock and missed this rumor!

    I’m only commenting here to rebut the notion that she’s saccharine or cheesy.

    Don’t judge her by Murder She Wrote alone. Her work in The Manchurian Candidate proves she would’ve been more than capable of a role on GoT.

    Her Ellie Iselin is one of my favorite all time performances and should have gotten more recognition. The only reason it didn’t is because that role and that entire movie were really ahead of their time.

  11. If there were an award for best rumor of the year this would get my vote. I can easily see the illustrious Dames Diana and Angela heartily chewing up the scenery together.

    (Is there an award for best GOT rumor? If not, goshdarnit there should be!)

  12. I knew it was too good to be true, but kept on hoping! I think she’s brilliant – and yes, the Queen of Thorns needs some friends her own age who are nearly as sharp.

  13. Lansbury has been a great actress in theatre, television and film, in comedy, drama, and musicals. She’s been nominated for Oscars thrice and won several Tonys. One of my all-time favourite musical comedy songs is her rendition of A Little Priest from Sweeney Todd. So while Murder She Wrote was rather twee and contrived, she was (and hopefully still is) capable of so much more. And she was made a Dame of the British Empire.

    I just cannot picture her on GoT, so the fact that she’s not doing it is a bit of a relief. Her face has a modern, almost kewpie doll look, plus she hasn’t done much historical costume drama. If they were considering her for a role, any GoT role for an older woman might be better essayed by someone with period-piece credentials and undoubted gravitas, perhaps one of the other dames–Eileen Atkins, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Janet Suzman, Helen Mirren, Sian Phillips, etc.

  14. Halfman:
    I’m not sorry. Not a fan I’m afraid. She’s twee and saccharine. Murder She Wrote was so cheesy. Doesn’t work for me although I respect her for what she’s achieved over a very lengthy career.

    “Twee and saccharine”?!? You need to see The Manchurian Candidate.

    Mrs. Iselin makes Cersei Lannister look like Mary Poppins.

  15. Halfman,

    what does “Murder She Wrote” have to do with how she would act if she were on Game of Thrones? Geez – good thing you aren’t in charge of casting.

  16. Harma Dogememe,
    She’s got a Braavosi hairdo in that picture and in the one with the original Bild article was standing next to a logo with a lion in it. The clues are all there Harma, GET HYPE! 😀 *ducks and runs away before anyone realises I was one of the those who posted the link to the Bild article – sorry about that 🙁 *

    Still, not only is she known for Murder She Wrote, but has also played Agatha Christie amature sluth Miss Marple on many occasions. As Nymeria Warrior Queen (hi sweetie!) said, if anyone can solve the crimes in Westeros it’s her 😀

  17. She was such a cutie in “Samson and Delilah”.
    In that film also she proved that she wouldn’t look out of place in GOT nailing another one of the show’staples: Leaving an impresion in the audience just to be killed soon after.

  18. It just shows how desperate we all are for info that this silly rumor picked up so much traction for such a long time.

    Now we are all stuck trolling twitter for pics of who is in Belfast. Not that it matters much since they are probably doing some filming of all seven episodes.

    Where are the drones and listening devices when we need them?

    Maybe if I can just convince D&D to go for a drink with me, I can slip them some NWQ topless selfies and get the scoop.

  19. who cares either way? If she were? cool…if she’s not? ok fine…the fact that these Throne sites needs to “squash” this rumor is silly…why so freaking serious? An Angela Lansbury casting rumor true or not is meaningless

  20. There hasn’t been a lot of casting news for Season 7. However, if Rhaegar Targaryen is ever cast, my vote is for British actor David Oakes. He’d be perfect!

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