After a short battle with cancer, Dianna Rigg died on Thursday morning, surrounded by family, including her daughter, actress Rachael Stirling.
Rigg, famous for many roles throughout her career, had spent her last months at her home in London.
Stirling, in a statement to the Sun, said, “My Beloved Ma died peacefully in her sleep early this morning, at home, surrounded by family.” Stirling is Rigg’s only child.
She further states, describing her mother’s life, “she died of cancer diagnosed in March, and spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life, full of love, laughter, and deep pride in her profession. I will miss her beyond words.”
Fans from around the world were devastated at the news of her sickness. From the late fifties to the present-day, Diana Rigg is considered one of the most iconic actresses in Hollywood.
She rose to fame in the early sixties, with her breakthrough performance in the British television series, ‘The Avengers’.
Alongside Ian Hendry and Patrick Macnee, Rigg played ‘Emma Peel’ who assisted Hendry’s character, Dr. David Keel, in solving crimes.
After this role, Rigg piqued public interest repeatedly with her performances in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (the sixth installment in the James Bond series), Dame, and Game of Thrones.
In the latter, she played ‘Olenna Tyrell’ for five seasons, asserting herself in contemporary pop culture. Therefore, she has fans in both older and younger generations. For her masterful acting abilities, Rigg received Oscar, Emmy, and BAFTA nominations for her iconic roles.
In 1990, she won the BAFTA TV award for Best Actress for her performance in ‘Mother Love’.
Apart from film and television, Rigg also had a stellar career in theatre. She received multiple nominations for the ‘Tony Awards’, particularly for her performances in ‘Abelard and Heloise’ (1971), ‘Medea’ (1994), and ‘My Fair Lady’ (2018).
She won the Tony nomination for Medea.