bea arthur seemed the very definition of a tough showbiz broad . slender , astringent , imperious - - she looked into someone whose didn ' t suffer fools and could strike them down with a criticism look or a well - aimed barb , resulting in that notorious coloratura . and it was , for the most time , all an act , says her dear ally of more than 40 years , angela lansbury . " bea was absolutely the embodiment of the character she portrayed , " angela writes . " she was sensitive - - really , really sensitive - - and self - conscious . but she cleared it up by becoming this deep - throat comic .
angela lansbury is an architect .