Tributes have poured in for the ‘flinty, fearless, fabulous force of nature’ James Bond actress and Game of Thrones star Dame Diana Rigg, who died today aged 82 following a short battle with cancer.
The British actress made her name in the cult 1961 TV series The Avengers, before going on to star as the cutthroat matriarch Lady Olenna Tyrell in HBO’s Game of Thrones, a show she later admitted she had never watched.
Confirming her death, her agent said that Rigg had died ‘peacefully’ on Thursday morning, adding that she had been ‘at home with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time’.
Starting out as a classically trained actress in the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dame Diana’s engrossing stage performances were said to come from her ‘funny and feisty’ personality.
In a heartfelt Instagram tribute, her co star George Lazenby wrote: ‘I’m so sad to hear of the death of Diana Rigg. She undoubtedly raised my acting game.
The generous tribute comes despite long-held rumours that the pair feuded on set, including over a fake report that Rigg deliberately ate garlic before filming their love scenes in order to throw him off.