Dame Diana Rigg, best known for her roles as Emma Peel in TV series The Avengers and Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, has died at the age of 82.
Her daughter, actress Rachael Stirling, confirmed the news that the veteran actress had died of cancer after being diagnosed in March.
“My Beloved Ma died peacefully in her sleep early this morning, at home, surrounded by family,” Stirling said in a statement on Thursday. “She spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life, full of love, laughter and a deep pride in her profession.”
Rigg rose to prominence in the ’60s for her role as the stylish crime-fighter Emma Peel in The Avengers, and later landed a recurring role as Olenna Tyrell (Queen of Thorns) in HBO’s hugely popular series Game of Thrones from 2013 to 2017, for which she was nominated four times for an Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a drama series.
Rigg also played the only woman who became Mrs James Bond in her role as Tracy, who married George Lazenby’s 007 in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Lazenby said he was “so sad” to hear of her death, while Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli also paid tribute to the acting legend.
“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 official 007 account tweeted.
Game of Thrones’ official Twitter account also paid tribute to Rigg in the wake of the news, writing: “Be a dragon. The realm will always remember Diana Rigg.”
Her GoT co-star Pedro Pascal also shared a black-and-white photo of Rigg, calling her the “true queen of Westeros.”
Last year, Dame Diana spoke of her delight at her role in Game of Thrones, telling the BBC: “I love playing bad [characters]. They are so much more interesting than good. There are some actors who don’t like to play bad; they like to be liked. I love to be disliked. Olenna had the best lines.”
