madeline herself seems the very definition of a tough showbiz comedian . tall , astringent , imperious - - she looked like someone who didn ' t suffer badly and could tear them down with a withering look or a best - aim barb , delivered in that famous contralto . and it was , for the most detail , all an act , says her close friend of more than 40 years , angela lansbury . " bea was absolutely the antithesis of the figures she portrayed , " alfre notes . " she was tough - - really , seriously sensitive - - and self - conscious . but she made it up by becoming this deep - voice humor .
Angela Lansbury is an actress.