Angela Lansbury’s LA Home Just Hit the Market — And It’s Where She Filmed an Iconic Wellness Video

As a Murder, She Wrote superfan, I have a very special place in my heart for Angela Lansbury, who passed away in October 2022. Her talent extended far beyond her role as Jessica Fletcher, of course, but even Lansbury herself admitted she shared many of the same qualities that Jessica possessed on the show.

So when I saw that Lansbury’s Los Angeles home had hit the market, I wondered if it embraced the simple comforts of Jessica Fletcher’s fictional home. The answer is clear from a quick swipe through the listing photos — it’s a resounding yes.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Lansbury’s Brentwood home was being put up for sale for $4.495 million. The Spanish-style manse features four bedrooms, beamed ceilings, tiled floors, several fireplaces, and an abundance of windows, while its sunny living room opens directly to the backyard pool and garden. 

It’s clear the home lacks the ostentatious flair of many celebrity homes today. Instead, it was a place of respite for Lansbury, where she spent time cooking and tending to her garden.

“As I stepped through the enchanting front gate of Angela Lansbury’s residence, I immediately sensed the profound love she held for her home,” Joe Bryant, the real estate listing photographer, told Apartment Therapy.

“However, it was the backyard that captivated me…” he adds. “I discovered a magical greenhouse — her secret garden, nestled so perfectly and privately away from the world’s prying eyes. It was undoubtedly her sanctuary.”

The house was also the set for an iconic wellness video Lansbury filmed in 1988 called “Positive Moves,” as reporter Kathryn Brenzel pointed out. I really recommend you watch the video in its entirety, but the gist is this: In the film, Lansbury offers up a laundry list of tips for staying healthy, active, and fit as you age. It’s a holistic guide for a sense of “well-being,” with sections on stretching, eating, gardening, and more. (Gwyneth Paltrow who?)

The video opens with Lansbury strolling around her yard, singing the praises of keeping active as you age. In later sections, much of the interior of her home looks unchanged from its most recent listing photos. Talk about timeless charm!

It’s my dream to own a VHS tape of “Positive Moves” — I’m always on the lookout for it at thrift stores. My consolation prize for now is the book version of the film, first published in 1990 and, much later, discovered by me on a crammed bookshelf at an antique center on Cape Cod. 

Positive Moves: My Personal Plan for Fitness and Well-Being is a treasure in its own right, although it underscores how Lansbury’s cozy hideaway served as a sanctuary for her.

“Southern California, where I have lived for the past six years, is known for its clear skies and brilliant sunlight,” Lansbury writes in the first chapter of the book. “But every now and then a thick fog, what we used to call a real ‘pea souper’ in London, will roll in from the Pacific. My house, perched up on a wooded hillside, becomes enveloped by mist. At times, I love to light a fire and settle down in a big comfy chair and read a stack of letters.”

She’s all about the cozy vibes! And so is her extremely charming Los Angeles home, listed here with Beverly Hills Estates.