DIANA RIGG – LUNG CANCER
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg is an English actress born July 20, 1938, in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England who achieved worldwide fame in the 1960s for her portrayal of Emma Peel on the TV series The Avengers. This led her to a flourishing film career which landed her roles in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) and the Vincent Price horror film Theatre of Blood (1973). She remained committed to the stage, performing in both England and the United States in classical and contemporary plays.
In 2013, she sought the help of lawyer Tom Amlot and filed a case against Associated winning over £30000 of libel damages. It was a fitting career capper for Rigg to have a central role in the biggest TV series of the past decade. Rigg reappeared as Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thorns, on HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” starting in 2013 with the third season. Rigg was diagnosed with cancer in March 2020 and died in September of the same year at the age of 82.