Incredible tale of how Angela Lansbury saved daughter from Charles Manson

"I was drawn to Ireland because it was the birthplace of my mother and it was also somewhere my children wouldn't be exposed to any more bad influences."

Acclaimed actress Angela Lansbury passed away at the age of 96 on Tuesday, and since the announcement of her death fans and Hollywood peers have shared heartwarming tales of the star's life. Many fans will be shocked to know that Lansbury once had to pry her daughter from the clutches of convicted murder Charles Manson. In a 2014 interview with the Daily Mail, Lansbury revealed that Deidre, now 69, had begun running with a crowd led by the musician-turned-mass murderer during the 1960s. In order to keep her daughter and the rest of her family safe, the Murder, She Wrote actress moved her whole family from their home in California to Cork. Lansbury said the troubles with Deidre and her older son Anthony, now 70, began in the 1960s when they began taking drugs.

"It started with cannabis but moved on to heroin," the Sweeney Todd star explained adding that their drug use brought her children, who were just teens at the time, into bad circles.

'There were factions up in the hills above Malibu that were dedicated to deadly pursuits," she continued. "It pains me to say it but, at one stage, Deidre was in with a crowd led by Charles Manson."

Manson was eventually was convicted in 1971 of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for seven murders carried out by his followers in 1969.

Although he is not believed to have explicitly ordered the killings, his behaviour and teachings convinced a jury that he was responsible for the murders.

"She was one of many youngsters who knew him — and they were fascinated," Lansbury continued. "He was an extraordinary character, charismatic in many ways, no question about it."

Worried over the kind of trouble her daughter might get into if she stayed in Manson's circle, Lansbury proposed a major move overseas.

''I said to [husband] Peter [Shaw], 'We have to leave.' So we upped sticks and moved the family to a house I found in County Cork,' she said.

"I was drawn to Ireland because it was the birthplace of my mother and it was also somewhere my children wouldn't be exposed to any more bad influences," Lansbury continued.

"So I refused all work for a year and simply kept house. I bought Elizabeth David's books and learnt how to cook properly,' she added, referencing the popular British cooking writer. 'It was a wonderful time in my life."

In a statement on Tuesday, Lansbury's family announced that she died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles on Tuesday (11 October). Lansbury was perhaps best known for starring in the popular crime drama series Murder, She Wrote where she played fictional writer and sleuth Jessica Fletcher. She appeared in 12 seasons of the show, winning four Golden Globes for her work in the programme. The actress was also Oscar-nominated three times for the iconic movies Gaslight, The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Manchurian Candidate before receiving an Academy Honourary Award in 2013. On top of this, Angela Lansbury also had voice roles in the popular Disney animations Anastasia and Beauty and the Beast. Born in London, Lansbury's mother was Irish actress Moyna Macgill, with Lansbury later spending part of her life living in Cork.