Angela Lansbury loved gardening and cooking, not Hollywood social life

When you become a prominent name in Hollywood, there are two things you can do. You can continue to be yourself, limiting how much money and fame have control over your life. Or, you can let the new success transform you into someone who loses control.

Angela Lansbury, the charming actress who portrayed Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, did not let money and fame control her life. In fact, she didn't even want to be a part of Hollywood's social scene. You know, the space where everyone is glamorous, upholds themselves to unnatural standards, and boasts about their "success."

They are stars that EVERYONE in Hollywood knows and are "ranked" very high in the industry. They're living examples of the word "socialite."

Lansbury was a sweet, nurturing woman who didn't want to be a socialite; she kept a low profile. That didn't mean she would turn down a role of that nature, though. "If you write it for me, I can play it. But as Angie, I can't," she told Good Housekeeping magazine during an interview in 1987. "The only thing I've ever had confidence in is my ability to perform."

She added, "I was very shy, very trepidatious [about] moving into the stream of Hollywood social life. I really don't know how to play that scene."

What did Lansbury do for fun instead? Gardening and cooking were her ideas of a good time. The best times are when she gets to cook for her family. "I'm very family oriented," the actress told The Tyler Courier-Times in 1987. "One of my family's favorites is a parsnip cheesecake made with only fresh herbs."

The actress added, "I'm not an exotic cook. I mean, I don't cook Chinese food. I cook what I like—a lot of healthy food...I'm the happiest in my garden and kitchen, being boring as [ever]."

Although she steered away from being a Hollywood socialite, we're glad Lansbury was recognized for her work and still got the chance to be a normal, loving person who loved cooking.