English actor Diana Rigg passed away at the age of 82. Cause of the death was not revealed.
Rigg’s agent told BBC, “She died peacefully early this morning. She was at home with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
Diana Rigg, widely known among the young generation for essaying the character of Olenna Tyrell in HBO’s Game of Thrones, shot to fame by playing Emma Peel in the 1960s British counter-intelligence TV series The Avengers.
Her commendable work in the series grabbed her the character of the main Bond girl Tracy di Vicenzo in the movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, opposite none other than Sean Connery. Her character was the first one to marry Connery’s fictional spy.
"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." pic.twitter.com/nqQCSg35oM
— James Bond (@007) September 10, 2020
Be a dragon.
The realm will always remember Diana Rigg.— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) September 10, 2020
As Olenna, the matriarch of House Tyrell, she received laurels for the love of Game of Thrones fans by portraying the sharp-tongued character with a sarcastic wit that seemingly came naturally to her. Her performance ruled the hearts of her fans who did not know the old Diana, the one who had married James Bond and played the catsuit-clad lithe spy in The Avengers.
Speaking about her young fans, Diana Rigg told Entertainment Weekly last year, “Obviously, it’s great that has happened, and great it was a young audience — terrific. That’s the nature of my profession. The young, I don’t expect them to know about my past, but if, through Game of Thrones, they discover me, that’s good.