Dear Ms. Lansbury,

Your warm and witty presence has brought joy to millions over your impressive career. For many, you are that fantasy matriarch that always seems to know what to do and how to make it all better. From an animated teapot to the (wildly under-appreciated) Mrs. Santa Claus, your talented performances are a safe harbor to visit when the days get hard. Somehow, you make it all better. Thank you.

Specifically, thank you for Jessica Fletcher. Thank you for insisting that she didn’t engage in car chases to excite audiences. Thank you for creating a character that inspires with her wit, charm and kindness. Jessica Fletcher was the first amateur sleuth that I insisted my parents let me stay up to watch. I actually called “Murder, She Wrote” “Jessica” until the mid-nineties.

You will be remembered and loved for generations. Every holiday season we will “Haul Out the Holly” with Auntie Mame. We will always bask in the romance and sweetness as Mrs. Potts sings “Beauty and the Beast.” Us cozy mystery lovers will continue to revisit Jessica’s adventures. The list goes on and on.

Thank you so much for dedicating your life to telling beautiful stories and playing incredible women. I will never forget you.

Love,

Jackie

Dear Ms. Lansbury,

It sounds dramatic to say this, but I cannot think of another way to put this: you are my idol. Onscreen and off, you were always inspirational and you will be greatly missed.

It's hard to describe how important Murder, She Wrote was to me. It was the first time that I found that mysteries could be charming instead of scary and I learned so much about plotting from those stories. Jessica Fletcher is the epitome of grace, handling every situation in the classiest and cleverest way possible whether it be dealing with a rude interviewer or a murder suspect.

Your talent was incredible and seen in every role you undertook, from your first role in Gaslight to the devilish Mrs. Lovett to the beloved Mrs. Potts. I was lucky enough to see you on Broadway in A Little Night Music and will always treasure that memory.

Thank you for creating characters that feel like friends, for your beautiful songs, and for conveying a sense of optimism when it was sorely needed.

Love,

Allyssa