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Vale: Diana Rigg

Veteran UK star, best known for The Avengers and Game of Thrones, has died.

 

Veteran UK star Dame Diana Rigg, best known for The Avengers and Game of Thrones, has died, aged 82.

“She died peacefully early this morning. She was at home with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time,” her agent said.

Diana Rigg played Emma Peel in The Avengers across 51 episodes from 1965-68, as an intelligent, witty and catsuit-wearing female agent alongside Patrick Macnee. In 2000 she shared a special BAFTA Award with Honor Blackman, Joanna Lumley and Linda Thorson.

Film credits included On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (as the only woman who became Mrs James Bond), The Hospital, Theatre of Blood, Evil Under the Sun, The Painted Veil, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Assassination Bureau, Julius Caesar, A Little Night Music, The Great Muppet Caper, A Good Man in Africa, Parting Shots and Heidi.

On Game of Thrones Rigg recurred as Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thorns, beginning with the third season in 2013. She was nominated for guest actress in a drama for her work on the show in 2013, 2014 and 2015 at the Emmy Awards.

She was host of PBS’ Masterpiece Mystery from 1989-2004 and had her own sitcom Diana in 1973-74. Other TV credits included The Mrs Bradley Mysteries, Extras, All Creatures Great and Small, Victoria and Doctor Who in 2013.

Rigg was also an esteemed stage actress both on the West End and Broadway.

Source: BBC, Variety

16 Responses

  1. Call me old fashioned but Diana Rigg is best remembered by me starring in The Avengers, her stylish femininity and the sixties fashion she wore still appeal even when this classic series is repeated today.
    No one could hold a pistol like she could.

  2. She’s currently starring in the remake of All Creatures Great & Small on channel 5. I loved her on The Avengers. I wish channel 9 would show her black and white season rather than her last season in colour, which is repeated over and over.

  3. Many are remembering her roles as Emma Peel and Olenna Tyrell. There was however another memorable character she played named Helena Vesey in a mini series called Mother Love. Diana was so good in that role. R.I.P. Diana.

  4. So Emma Peel has gone to join John Steed. I haven’t seen Game Of Thrones so my best memories of her are The Avengers, a show that was a must see for me back in the day. Vale Diana Rigg.

  5. Right up until her character’s end in GoT… she stole every scene Olenna was in. In a show filled with memorable characters, she stood out to be one of my favourite characters. And it was all thanks to the unbelievable delivery of her lines. She was a star.

  6. RIP Mrs Peel – I remember stumbling across the Avengers at like 1am on TV (back in the 80s) as a teenager – not knowing anything about either the Avengers or Diana Rigg…. was such a revelation, to me back then (and still today) Mrs Peel, Steed and the whole Avengers show was, fun and camp and never took itself too seriously… I like to think that as a gay kid growing up in the country way back then, that it was Diana/Mrs Peel is where I learnt how to use being smart and sassy and classy all at the same time… RIP Mrs Peel.

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