English actress, Dame Diana Rigg, known for her roles on stage and in film including The Avengers and Game of Thrones, has died at the age of 82.
Confirming her death, Rigg’s longtime friend and talent agent, Lionel Larner, said she died “peacefully” this morning, adding that she had been “at home in England with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time”.
“She was a beautiful kind and generous human being that enhanced the lives of all that knew her as well as a great actress. She leaves a great void in my heart,” she said.
Her daughter, actress Rachael Stirling, said Rigg had been diagnosed with cancer in March and had “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.”
Rigg, who rose to prominence in the 1960s for her role as Emma Peel in The Avengers, played Lady Olenna Tyrell in HBO’s smash hit Game of Thrones. She also played Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, or Tracey Bond, James Bond’s first and only wife to date, in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for the BBC miniseries Mother Love in 1989, and an Emmy Award for her role as Mrs. Danvers in an adaptation of Rebecca (1997).
