Diana Rigg
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- July 20, 1938 in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, UK
- Died
- September 10, 2020
- Active Years
- 1949–2021 (73 Years)
- Total Credits
- 97 credits in database
Biography
Diana Rigg was an English actress born on July 20, 1938, in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, UK. She made her professional stage debut in 1957 in The Caucasian Chalk Circle and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959. Rigg's television career included playing Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers from 1965 to 1968 and Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones from 2013 to 2017. She also had a successful career in theatre, including playing the title role in Medea, and made her Broadway debut in the 1971 production of Abelard & Heloise. Rigg won the 1994 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in Medea.
Career overview
Diana Rigg began her professional stage career in 1957 with a role in The Caucasian Chalk Circle. She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959. Rigg made her Broadway debut in the 1971 production of Abelard & Heloise.
In television, Rigg played Emma Peel in the series The Avengers from 1965 to 1968. She also appeared in Game of Thrones from 2013 to 2017, playing the role of Olenna Tyrell.
Rigg's film career included a role as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream. She won the 1994 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her portrayal of the title role in Medea, both in London and New York. Rigg was made a CBE in 1988 and a Dame in 1994 for services to drama.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
97 titles- Last Night in Soho (2021) as Ms. Collins
- All Creatures Great & Small (2020) as Mrs Pumphrey
- The Snail and the Whale (2020) as Narrator (voice)
- Black Narcissus (2020) as Mother Dorothea
- Breathe (2017) as Lady Neville
- A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong (2017) as Aunt Diana
- Victoria (2016) as Duchess of Buccleuch
- You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015) as Sutton
- You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015) as Sutton (voice)
- Professor Branestawm Returns (2015) as Lady Pagwell
- Dames of Classic Drama at the BBC (2015) as Self (archive material)
- The Honourable Rebel (2015) as Narrator
- Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero (2014) as Mayor Pink Panda (voice)
- Detectorists (2014) as Veronica
- The Kumars (2014) as Self
- The Lark Ascending (2012) as Self - Presenter (as Dame Diana Rigg)
- Game of Thrones (2011) as Olenna Tyrell
- Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (2011) as Self - Participant
- The Painted Veil (2006) as Mother Superior
- Doctor Who (2005) as Mrs Gillyflower
- Extras (2005) as Diana Rigg
- Heidi (2005) as Grandmamma
- Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (2003) as Self
- Charles II: The Power and The Passion (2003) as Queen Henrietta Maria
- Murder in Mind (2001) as Jill Craig
- Victoria & Albert (2001) as Baroness Lehzen
- Victoria & Albert (2001) as Baroness Lehzen
- In the Beginning (2000) as Mature Rebeccah
- Parting Shots (1999) as Lisa
- Parkinson (1998) as Self
- The Mrs Bradley Mysteries (1998) as Adela Bradley
- The American (1998) as Madame de Bellegarde
- Danielle Steel's Zoya (1997) as Evgenia
- Rebecca (1997) as Mrs. Danvers
- The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (1996) as Mrs. Golightly
- The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (1996) as Mrs Golightly
- Samson and Delilah (1996) as Mara
- The Haunting of Helen Walker (1995) as Mrs. Grose
- The World of Jim Henson (1994) as Lady Holiday (archive footage)
- A Good Man in Africa (1994) as Chloe Fanshawe
- Running Delilah (1994) as Judith
- Genghis Cohn (1993) as Baroness Frieda von Stangel
- Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris (1992) as Mme. Colbert
- Unexplained Laughter (1989) as Lydia
- Black Leather Jacket (1989) as Emma Peel (segment "Death at Bargain Prices") (archive footage)
- Mother Love (1989) as Helena Vesey
- The Play on One (1988) as Lydia
- Snow White (1987) as Evil Queen
- A Hazard of Hearts (1987) as Lady Harriet Vulcan
- The Worst Witch (1986) as Constance Hardbroom
- Screen Two (1985) as Frieda von Stangel
- Bleak House (1985) as Lady Honoria Dedlock
- King Lear (1983) as Regan
- Wogan (1982) as Self - Guest
- Wogan (1982) as Self
- Evil Under the Sun (1982) as Arlena Stuart Marshall
- Witness for the Prosecution (1982) as Christine Vole
- Little Eyolf (1982) as Rita Allmers
- The Making of Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun' (1982) as Self / Arlena Stuart Marshall
- The Great Muppet Caper (1981) as Lady Holiday
- Hedda Gabler (1981) as Hedda Gabler
- Masterpiece Mystery (1980) as Self - Host
- The Marquise (1980) as The Marquise Eloise
- The Serpent Son (1979) as Clytemnestra
- A Little Night Music (1977) as Charlotte Mittelheim
- Three Piece Suite (1977)
- Three Piece Suite (1977) as Various Roles
- Three Piece Suite (1977) as Various Roles
- In This House of Brede (1975) as Dame Philippa
- Affairs of the Heart (1974) as Grace Gracedew
- Diana (1973) as Diana Smythe
- Theatre of Blood (1973) as Edwina Lionheart
- V.I.P. Schaukel (1971) as Self
- The Hospital (1971) as Barbara Drummond
- Julius Caesar (1970) as Portia
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) as Tracy Di Vicenzo
- Minikillers (1969) as Woman tourist
- The Assassination Bureau (1969) as Sonya Winter
- Shot On Ice (1969) as Self
- The Diadem (1969) as Secret Agent
- Swiss Movement (1969) as Self
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968) as Helena
- Omnibus (1967) as Self
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) as Rita Allmers
- The Hothouse (1964) as Anita Fender
- Our Man in the Caribbean (1964) as Francy (archive footage)
- Festival (1963) as Adriana, Wife to Antipholus of Ephesus
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- The Avengers (1961) as Emma Peel
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Host
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Nominee
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Co-Host / Presenter
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Winner
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Anita Fender
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Christine
- The BAFTA Awards (1949) as Self
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Diana Rigg best known for?
Diana Rigg is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Last Night in Soho (2021), All Creatures Great & Small (2020), Breathe (2017), Victoria (2016).
When and where was Diana Rigg born?
Diana Rigg was born on July 20, 1938 in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, UK. They passed away on September 10, 2020.
How many credits does Diana Rigg have?
Diana Rigg has accumulated over 97 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1949 to 2021.
What is Diana Rigg's background in cinema and television?
Diana Rigg was an English actress born on July 20, 1938, in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, UK. She made her professional stage debut in 1957 in The Caucasian Chalk Circle and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1959. Rigg's television career included playing Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers from 1965 to 1968...
Diana Rigg by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- The BAFTA Awards (1949) as Self — aged about 10
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Christine — aged about 12
- Game of Thrones (2011) as Olenna Tyrell — aged about 72
- Murder in Mind (2001) as Jill Craig — aged about 62
- All Creatures Great & Small (2020) as Mrs Pumphrey — aged about 81
- Detectorists (2014) as Veronica — aged about 75
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