Legendary actress Diana Rigg has passed away at age 82. In a statement to the BBC, her agent said, “She died peacefully early this morning. She was at home with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
The actress shot to fame in the 1960s when she portrayed Emma Peel in TV series “The Avengers.” In 1969, she took on the role of Bond Girl Tracy Di Vicenzo in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”
Diana received critical acclaim over the course of her career, scoring an Emmy in 1997 for her portrayal of Mrs. Danvers in “Rebecca.” She also received numerous Tony nominations for her stage work, snagging the prize for her role in a 1994 production of “Medea.”
More recently, Diana starred as fan-favorite character Lady Olenna Tyrell on “Game of Thrones,” known for her sharp wit and biting one-liners. The role earned her three Emmy nominations and heaps of online fanfare.
Diana’s friend and talent agent Lionel Larner told Variety, “She was a beautiful kind and generous human being that enhanced the lives of all that knew her as well as a great actress. She leaves a great void in my heart.”
Diana is survived by her daughter she had with ex-husband Archibald Sterling: actress Rachael Sterling.
Her ‘Games of Thrones’ costar Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who played Jamie Lannister, remembered Diana, sharing on Twitter, “Dame Diana Rigg . She always raised the bar with her incredible talent, intelligence and wit. An absolute joy and honor to work with. May her soul Rest In Peace.”
‘Game of Thrones’ posted about her passing writing, “Be a dragon. The realm will always remember Diana Rigg.”
The official James Bond Twitter account also posted about Diana, writing, “We are very sad to hear of the passing of Dame Diana Rigg, the legendary stage and screen actress who was much beloved by Bond fans for her memorable performance as Tracy di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the only woman to have married James Bond.”
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