hen Dame Dianna Rigg died earlier today (10 September), she left behind an indelible legacy on the acting profession.
Her six-decade career spanned projects in film, TV and the stage, from popular classics like James Bond to dense theatrical fare.
Of all the women to have appeared opposite the many incarnations of 007, Rigg often stands apart, imbuing her On Her Majesty’s Secret Service character with a charisma and complexity that elevated her above the usual female cypher.
Rigg’s career transcended mere acclaim (though there was plenty to go around): as Emma Peel in the seminal ITV spy series The Avengers, Rigg became a feminist icon.
Here are 10 of her finest roles.
1. Emma Peel in The Avengers (1965-68)
Rigg joined The Avengers to replace Honor Blackman – who would herself star in the Bond series, as Pussy Galore – as the series’ female lead. An expert martial artist, Peel was the perfect foil to Patrick MacNee’s John Steed. Rigg only lasted for two series, later revealing she had struggled with the newfound fame the role brought, but her character endures as one of the show’s brightest sparks, and one of the highlights of Rigg’s back catalogue.
2. Sonya Winter in The Assassination Bureau (1969)
Rigg stood out as one of the best things about The Assassination Bureau, the darkly comic thriller based on an unfinished novel by Jack London. As fledgling journalist and vocal feminist Sonya Winter, Rigg finds herself embroiled in conspiracy as she tries to take down a shady assassination-based organisation from within.
3. Teresa di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
“Teresa is a saint – I’m known as Tracy,” says Rigg’s famous Bond girl, as she introduces herself to 007. Among the many female actors to have appeared in the franchise, Rigg stands apart – and not just because Tracy was the first woman with whom the famously promiscuous spy looked like settling down. Right up until the fateful wedding scene, Rigg managed to imbue Tracy with a rich characterisation and pathos that transcended the usual Bond clichés.
4. Arlena Stuart Marshall in Evil Under the Sun (1982)
Never one to shy away from a genre project, Rigg tackled an Agatha Christie Poirot mystery in the 1982 adaptation of Evil Under the Sun. As Arlena, she enjoyed some of the film’s most lively lines as she swapped pointed insults with wealthy nemesis Daphne Castle (played by Maggie Smith).
5. Regan in King Lear (1983)
Shakespeare is a tall task for any actor, and Rigg performed in many of the Bard’s works on the stage and on-screen. None were quite so memorable as the TV production of King Lear, which saw Rigg hold her own among a stellar cast that included Laurence Olivier, John Hurt and a young Brian Cox.
6. Helena Vesey in Mother Love (1989)
Rigg won a Best Actress Bafta award for her terrifying turn as the obsessive matriarch Helena Vesey in the 1989 BBC miniseries Mother Love. As Helena, she is smotheringly devoted to her son, Kit, but it’s clear that something dangerous lurks beneath her exterior. Quite possibly Rigg’s darkest role.
7. Medea in Medea (1992)
Of Rigg’s many acclaimed theatrical roles, she is probably best remembered for her star turn in the ancient Greek tragedy Medea. Debuting in London’s Almeida theatre before moving to New York, the production earned Rigg a Tony Award for Best Actress in 1994.
8. Mrs Danvers in Rebecca (1997)
Rigg was already a dame by the time she played the sinister Mrs Danvers in the 1997 serialised adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s iconic novel. The miniseries, shown in the UK on ITV, is inevitably overshadowed by Alfred Hitchcock’s peerless Rebecca adaptation, but Rigg’s role remains a high point. For her efforts, she bagged an Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
9. Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones (2013-2017)
Rigg became a familiar face to a whole new generation of viewers with her turn as the acerbic Lady Tyrell in the hit HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones. Known as the Queen of Thorns, Tyrell was one of Thrones’ best schemers, and Rigg was perfect in the role. Although her performance was met with no small amount of critical praise, she claimed in 2017 that she’d never even watched the show.
10. Veronica in Detectorists (2017)
Mackenzie Crook’s offbeat BBC sitcom Detectorists had a number of wonderful performances, and Rigg’s was certainly no exception. A relatively small role – as the mother of Becky, played by Rachael Stirling – was enlivened by Rigg’s pitch-perfect delivery, as she lent a touch of class to one of her final on-screen appearances.
