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Dame Diana Rigg dies at age 82, ‘Game Of Thrones’ co-stars, celebrities honor ‘The Avengers’ star and Mrs Bond

Tributes poured in from her co-stars and associates in her long and storied career that began in 1957 on stage and included iconic roles in the Bond franchise, 'The Avengers' TV series and most recently in the worldwide TV phenomenon 'Game of Thrones'
UPDATED SEP 10, 2020
Dame Diana Rigg (Getty Images)
Dame Diana Rigg (Getty Images)

The year has just claimed another legend -- Dame Diana Rigg died at the age of 82 of cancer, which she was diagnosed with in March. Rigg was the one and only "Mrs" Bond, the original 'Avengers' before Marvel was even a thing, and last but not least, she was Lady Olenna Tyrell, the cunning matriarch on 'Game of Thrones', who had some of the best lines on the show. Tributes poured in from her co-stars and associates in her long and storied career that began in 1957 on stage, after which she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), who tweeted: "We were saddened to hear of the death of Diana Rigg. Diana joined us in 1959 and appeared in a number of RSC productions through the years. Diana is pictured here as Cordelia in King Lear, 1962."



 

Promotional portrait of British actor Diana Rigg, as Emma Peel, posed in a fight stance for the television program, 'The Avengers,' circa 1966. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Courtesy of Getty Images)

'The Avengers' British TV series, which made her an icon and household name in the 60s when she played secret agent Emma Peel, marked her passing on their official Twitter account, saying: "There will never be another... Dame #DianaRigg... 'Everlasting Love'"



 

The official James Bond Twitter account also expressed their condolences, tweeting: "'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 'Game of Thrones' Twitter handle kept it simple, tweeting: "Be a dragon. The realm will always remember Diana Rigg," quoting her character, Olenna Tyrell, in 'Game of Thrones'.



 

Her co-star, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who was also her acting partner in her 'death scene' in 'Game of Thrones' as Jamie Lannister, was one of the first 'GOT' actors to express condolences on their Twitter feed. He wrote: "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."



 

Her other 'GOT' co-stars, from Pedro Pascal to John Bradley and Nathalie Emmanuel also tweeted their condolences, though none had shared as many scenes with the "Queen of Thorns" as Coster-Waldau -- especially not one as iconic as her exit from the show.



 



 



 

People who worked with her, in the past and more recently, all took to their social media handles to leave 'in memoriam' messages. George Lazenby, her 'James Bond' co-star who played 007 himself, penned a long Instagram tribute that he also posted on Twitter, saying: "I'm so sad to hear of the death of Diana Rigg. She undoubtedly raised my acting game when we made On Her Majesty's Secret Service together in 1968-9. I remember the press conference at the Dorchester in London, knowing she was going to play my wife. We had fun together on the set of the movie in Switzerland and Portugal. Her depth of experience really helped me. We were good friends on set. Much was made of our supposed differences but that was the Press looking for a news story. I was sorry to have lost my wife in the film at the end. The death of Contessa Teresa di Vincenzo Draco created a memorable cinema moment over 50 years ago. As my new bride, Tracy Bond, I wept for her loss. Now, upon hearing of Dame Diana's death, I weep again. My deepest condolences for her family. Love George xx"



 

"It was my great joy and privilege to have known Diana Rigg. From three slightly hysterical months at the Old Vic in ‘All About Mother’ to writing 'The Crimson Horror' [on Doctor Who] for Diana and her wonderful daughter Rachael. Flinty, fearless, fabulous. There will never be another. RIP," tweeted Sherlock's Mark Gatiss.



 

'Baby Driver' director Edgar Wright who also worked with her in one of her final films 'Last Night in Soho', tweeted: "What to say about Diana Rigg? I could talk about her incredible career, but for now I'll just say as a lifelong fan, it was beyond a thrill to work with her on her final film. She exceeded all my highest expectations, so blazingly talented, fiery & funny. Miss you already Dame D."



 

Stephen Merchant, brought up one of her light moments on sets to commemorate her memory, saying: "RIP Dame Diana Rigg. Great actress and good sport - lest we forget, she let Daniel Radcliffe flick a condom on her head in Extras."



 

Diana Rigg, who worked on projects till the very end will have two posthumous credits to her name. One, the BBC One TV miniseries 'Black Narcissus', and the Edgar Wright film, 'Last Night in Soho', a psychological horror film, that will be released in 2021.

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