Awful news breaking that Diana Rigg has died. Younger people will remember her from Game of Thrones or The Detectorists, and she was said to be an extraordinarily charismatic stage actress, but I will of course be in mourning for Mrs Peel.
I saw her at the National Film Theatre a couple of years ago for Q+A to mark 50 years of The Avengers and she was wonderful. Although she was in pain from a bad knee (daughter Rachael Stirling had to help her to the stage) she was full of life and gossip.
I may watch Theatre of Blood tonight. Diana spoke about that at the NFT and described how she played matchmaker for Vincent Price (‘I loved Vincent, but he was meaner than mouseshit.’) and Coral Browne (‘I don’t want much at my time in life dear, but I don’t half fancy that Vincent Price.’).
RIP. She had a significant effect on me when The Avengers was re-run on Channel 4 in the 80s. Was also in the best Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Oh, no. Together with Julie Newmar’s Catwoman, DR’s Emma Peel was one of the sexiest characters on TV in the 1960s.
Actually, scrub that, she was one of the sexiest women on TV ever!
RIP Ms Rigg.
She also wrote a terrific book about actors’ and writers’ most notoriously bad reviews with the delightful title No Turn Unstoned
Theatre of Blood should be watched every night.
“….and make two pasties of your shameful head!”
PS. Guy Garvey’s mother-in-law.
If Bernard Manning had got married to Rachel Stirling rather than GG, it would have derailed his career before it left the station
And Elbow would have just been called Fat Arse.
Hang on….
Very sad news!
In a class of her own.
Ooh! I didn’t know that this video existed. This is the event I mentioned in the OP.
I was very chuffed when I stumbled across it, Gatz.
I told Mrs KFD the sad news and she hadn’t a clue who I was talking about.
A stunningly beautiful woman who never let her physical beauty get in the way of delivering memorable performances. I loved her in everything, from Emma Peel in The Avengers to Veronica in Detectorists.
Beautiful and a great actress.
I watch OHMSS every time it’s on, always hoping that this is the Directors Cut version where she will survive…..
Apparently very fond of a tipple.
One of my all-time heroines – smart, charismatic, formidably talented, and impossibly beautiful. This year has been grievous for Avengers and Bond fans. I may be shallow, but with due respect to her celebrated theatrical career, for me she’ll be eternally Emma.
#fromYorkshire
‘Appen. And called Enid, tha knows.
Aye, tha’s reet, lad.
Gradely.
This news has made me sad.
And also made me feel old.
I was very sorry to hear this news. She was, of course, glorious as Emma Peel, with her outrageous and intelligent sexiness set of against Patrick McNee’s cool. Watching her as a young lad in the 60s, she made me feel things I really didn’t understand.
I was lucky enough to see her in the Greek tragedy Medea in the early 90s and it remains one of the most powerful performances I have ever seen onstage. Just magnificent.
Almost never Emma Peel … Elizabeth Shepherd (“The Corridor People” … really good but quite, make that “very,” obscure) got the part and filmed two episodes … then left … for Diana Rigg to take over.
The black and white Diana series (2/10/65 – 26/3/66) is, by a considerable distance, my favourite television programme.
Avengers etc of course, but her late turn in The Detectorists was a huge pleasure too. RIP.
Yes! She lit that up too. Fantastic performer; I shall miss her presence greatly.
Very sad of course but she leaves fantastic legacy.
I always found her a bit Man-ish.
Yes, particularly during her Be Good to Yourself At Least Once a Day phase.
Anybody know what I meant by this? I was obviously tweaking his tail, because that was what you did, but I imagine it went right over his head.
A reference to the Welsh funsters Man.
….man.
Ah…
She was my first infatuation. I was seven.
Related point…mine was Joanna Lumley.
Joanna was also an Avengers
Hence related point. Or twice related, I guess.
I make absolutely no apology for waking this thread up to share this fantastic piece by Rachael Stirling herself.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/oct/24/diana-rigg-rachael-stirling-interview-edgar-wright
Not that I normally apologise for waking threads up…
I read that – a beautiful piece of writing. I almost shed a manly tear.
The whole Edgar Wright chunk of the paper was excellent.
I’m looking forward to his Soho movie.
“From the director of Baby Driver” according to the trailer. Don’t get me wrong, Baby Driver is top fun and, yes, brilliantly directed, but I find it funny how what someone is known for is different for different audiences.
When Sin City came out was it trailed as “from the director of Spy Kids”?
Well I’m the audience for both, and I’m sure I’m not alone. But it’s quite hard to detect any sort of pattern in his output.
Isn’t that Herman Munster?
No, it’s the DofE in gangster mode,
I’ve just finished watching Hollington Drive, all the while thinking “I know that face” and the penny only dropped halfway through the last episode that the actress playing the ***spoiler alert*** murderous Headmistress was Diana Rigg’s daughter.
Edgar Wright’s Soho movie has got dreadful reviews for its festival preview showings.
Don’t care, I’ll go and see it anyway.
I thought it was terrific – his technical virtuosity is on full display, and no-one currently uses music in film better than Wright at the moment. If you didn’t think Cilla’s “You’re My World” was a work of genius, you will after seeing this…
Whole cast is very good (Matt Smith a bit wasted, but it’s not his character’s story), and a fitting final role & performance from the Dame.
Rachael Stirling writes on her mum and the right to die. A tough but beautiful read.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/09/diana-rigg-assisted-dying-rachael-stirling-mother-cancer
Thanks for sharing that fine article @Moose the Mooche.
Writing that must have cost Rachael a few tears but I’m glad that we now know the full story.
Lovely. Cost me a tear or two as well.