Diana Rigg

Diana Rigg – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the extraordinary life and legacy of Diana Rigg, the celebrated British actress known for The Avengers, James Bond, Game of Thrones, and her acclaimed stage career. Discover her biography, milestones, philosophy, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was one of Britain’s most accomplished and versatile actresses. With a career spanning over six decades, she starred in landmark television series, iconic films, and major stage productions. From her breakthrough persona as Emma Peel in The Avengers to her later reinvention as Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, Rigg remained continually relevant, admired by generations. Her fearless artistry, fierce intellect, and uncompromising spirit make her a figure whose life continues to inspire actors, fans, and students of drama.

Early Life and Family

Diana Rigg was born in Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Her full name was Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg. Her father, Louis Rigg, worked in engineering and later moved to India for railway work; her mother, Beryl Hilda Rigg (née Helliwell), returned to England for Diana’s birth.

When Diana was only two months old, her family relocated to Bikaner in Rajasthan, India, where she lived until age eight. During that time she learned Hindi as a second language. Her early years in India left a deep impression; later, she remarked that although she disliked boarding school in England, it was Yorkshire and India that shaped her sensibility.

She was sent back to England for schooling. She attended Fulneck Girls’ School, a Moravian settlement near Pudsey, though she felt ill at ease in the boarding environment.

In 1955, Rigg was admitted to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where she studied until 1957. Among her classmates were Glenda Jackson and Siân Phillips.

Youth and Education

At RADA, Rigg honed her dramatic skills and began forming her artistic identity. In 1957, she made her professional theatre debut in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, playing Natasha Abashwilli, at the York Festival under RADA auspices. Soon after, she joined repertory theatres and then, in 1959, became attached to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

At the RSC she performed a range of classical roles: Cordelia in King Lear, Viola in Twelfth Night, and other parts across Shakespeare and modern drama. These early stage experiences built the foundation for her later versatility and critical acclaim.

Career and Achievements

Breakthrough in Television: The Avengers

Rigg’s breakthrough came in 1965, when she assumed the role of Emma Peel in the British TV series The Avengers, replacing Elizabeth Shepherd. She appeared in 51 episodes until 1968. Emma Peel became iconic: intelligent, witty, stylish, martial-arts proficient—a feminist action heroine decades before such figures became commonplace.

The role also thrust her to instant fame and turned her into a sex symbol, something she later admitted had shocked her. She also spoke publicly about gender pay inequality: for the second series of The Avengers, she held out for a pay rise from £150 per week to £450, and found little support from fellow women in the industry—indeed, press narratives painted her as mercenary.

Though she left after two seasons, the impact of Emma Peel on popular culture was profound, and remains one of her most enduring legacies.

Film Roles and the Bond Connection

In 1969, Rigg starred in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo, becoming the only woman to marry James Bond (portrayed by George Lazenby) in the official Bond canon. She took the part partly to gain exposure in the U.S. market.

Rigg’s filmography includes The Assassination Bureau (1969), Julius Caesar (1970), The Hospital (1971), Theatre of Blood (1973), In This House of Brede (1975), A Little Night Music (1977), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Evil Under the Sun (1982), and later the posthumous release Last Night in Soho (2021).

Theatre and Stage Mastery

Parallel to her screen success, Rigg remained a theatre devotee. Over decades, she delivered lauded performances on both West End and Broadway.

One of her greatest theatrical triumphs was playing the title role in Medea (1993 in London, 1994 on Broadway), for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

She also earned nominations for Tony Awards in Abelard and Heloise (1971) and The Misanthrope (1975). On returning to Broadway in 2018, she appeared in My Fair Lady and received another Tony nomination.

On London stages, Rigg starred in productions like Jumpers, Night and Day, Pygmalion, Hay Fever, The Cherry Orchard, Honour, and many others.

Later Television — Reinvention in Game of Thrones and More

In 1989, she won a BAFTA TV Award for Mother Love, a BBC miniseries in which she portrayed an obsessive mother willing to go to extremes. In 1997, she won a Primetime Emmy for her role as Mrs. Danvers in the mini-series Rebecca.

From 1989 to 2003, she hosted the PBS series Mystery!, succeeding Vincent Price.

In 2013, Rigg joined Game of Thrones as Olenna Tyrell, the razor-sharp, politically cunning matriarch known as the “Queen of Thorns.” Her role was widely praised, and she received multiple Emmy nominations as a guest actress. She appeared through seasons three to six; the character was killed in season seven.

In 2013 she also made a guest appearance on Doctor Who in an episode (“The Crimson Horror”) that paired her with her daughter, Rachael Stirling.

Her final role was completed just before her passing: in Edgar Wright’s film Last Night in Soho, released posthumously in 2021.

Honours & Recognitions

• In 1988, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

• In 1994, she was elevated to Dame Commander (DBE) for services to drama.

• She served as Chancellor of the University of Stirling (a ceremonial post) from 1998 to 2008.

• She also held the Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professorship of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford (1999–2000).

• She was the recipient of honorary doctorates and many theatre awards and nominations over her career.

Historical Milestones & Context

• Rigg’s ascent came during the cultural revolutions of the 1960s, when television began shifting from conservative, studio-bound programming to bold, iconoclastic work. The Avengers captured that spirit, and Emma Peel became a symbol of female agency in the spy/hero genre.

• Her willingness to demand equitable pay in the 1960s prefigured many later movements for gender equality in entertainment.

• Her turn as Olenna Tyrell came at a moment when Game of Thrones was arguably the biggest global cultural phenomenon. Through that role, she introduced herself to new, younger audiences and reasserted her relevance in a changing landscape.

• Across decades, she bridged classical theatre traditions and modern screen media, showing that the two could mutually enrich one another.

Legacy and Influence

Diana Rigg’s legacy is twofold: as an actor of formidable range, and as a trailblazer for women in entertainment.

• Many cite Emma Peel as a template for powerful, intelligent female protagonists in action and genre television.

• Her stage legacy is equally strong: her performance in Medea is still studied as a benchmark of modern tragedy onstage.

• Later generations of actors point to her fearlessness in tackling roles across media and her commitment to character integrity.

• Through her public stance on pay and equality, she is seen as an early advocate for gender parity in the arts.

• Her ability to reinvent herself—first in the ’60s, then on stage, then in 21st-century prestige television—gives her a rare profile as a performer who remained vital across eras.

• Her daughter, Rachael Stirling, has spoken frequently of the influence Diana had on her own acting life, both in technique and philosophical approach.

Personality and Talents

Rigg was known for her sharp intellect, wit, and serious dedication to craft. Colleagues recalled that she was intensely disciplined yet warm, with a sharp sense of humor.

Though she became a sex symbol, she chafed at the limitations such a label imposed. She once said that overnight fame startled her, and that fan mail overwhelmed her; she even stored unopened letters in her car’s boot (trunk) because she did not know how to respond.

She smoked from age 18 and was a chain smoker for much of her life, though later health troubles led her to quit. In 2017 she underwent heart surgery and had serious complications; she joked that God had sent her back because “the old bag” was not done yet.

In her final year she was diagnosed with lung cancer; even as her health declined she recorded pro–assisted dying tapes to urge legalization of assisted dying in the UK.

Despite her gravitas, Rigg was known to relish laughter, conviviality, and deep loyalty to close friends. She once said that on The Avengers set, her only real friends were Patrick Macnee and the driver.

Famous Quotes of Diana Rigg

Below are some of Diana Rigg’s memorable quotes, which capture her wit, philosophy, and strength:

“Becoming a sex symbol overnight had shocked me.”

“I felt like a fish out of water in boarding school.”

On The Avengers salary: > “Not one woman in the industry supported me. … I was painted as this mercenary creature by the press when all I wanted was equality.”

As Olenna Tyrell: > “I have always said that death is a woman’s best friend. The older I get, the more I find it’s true.” (Paraphrase / popular attribution)

On aging and reinvention: > “I don’t expect younger people to know my early work, but if through Game of Thrones they discover me, that’s good.”

On the unpredictability of a life in acting: > “The young, I don’t expect them to know about my past … but if, through Game of Thrones, they discover me, that’s good.”

These lines reflect both her self-awareness and her capacity to engage with public perception critically.

Lessons from Diana Rigg

1. Versatility is strength. Rigg moved fluidly between stage, television, and film. She refused to be pigeonholed.

2. Demand your worth. Her fight for equitable pay in the 1960s remains a powerful example.

3. Reinvention is possible at any age. Her late-career resurgence in Game of Thrones demonstrates that growth and relevance extend through decades.

4. Art requires discipline and humility. Her classical training and respect for the craft sustained her through fame and adversity.

5. Own your narrative. She refused to be defined solely by beauty or youth, insisting on depth and agency.

Conclusion

Diana Rigg’s life and career stand as a monument to artistry, courage, and evolution. From Emma Peel’s sleek agility to the sharp-tongued Lady Olenna, she inhabited roles with a fierce intelligence and enduring humanity. Her advocacy, her willingness to challenge norms, and her deep commitment to performance give her a legacy that continues to inspire.

Explore her performances, revisit her stage work, and reflect on her words—to understand not only a great actress, but a life lived with purpose and integrity.