Diana Rigg, Star of Game of Thrones, Has Died at Age 82
Diana Rigg, the acclaimed British actor, has died at the age of 82, according to Variety.
Rigg is probably best known for her role as Lady Olenna Tyrell—a.k.a. the Queen of Thorns—on Game of Thrones. Olenna was a beloved character thanks to her unapologetic attitude and quotes like “I’ve known a great number of clever men. I’ve outlived them all. You know how? I ignored them.”
But Rigg was a star of stage and screen long before GoT. She famously played Emma Peel on television's The Avengers from 1965 to 1668. (Uma Thurman later took on the role in a 1998 feature film.) She also has a James Bond film on her résumé: On Her Majesty's Secret Service from 1969. “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,” the franchise's official Twitter account posted.
Rigg was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Academy in the ’60s and appeared on Broadway in Abelard and Heloise; a revival of Molière’s The Misanthrope, in 1975; and Medea in 1994, which earned her a Tony nomination. She also won an Emmy for her portrayal of Mrs. Danvers in a TV adaptation of Rebecca in 1997. And she memorably played Lady Holiday in The Great Muppet Caper, which is a must-see.
In 1990, Rigg was created a dame commander of the order of the British Empire, per the BBC. “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,” Lionel Larner, Rigg’s longtime friend and talent agent, told Variety.
Condolences and remembrances quickly poured in on social media.
RIP to one of the greats.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
