Diana Rigg (July 20, 1938 – September 10, 2020) was a British actress celebrated for her elegance, wit, versatility, and striking beauty. During the 1970s, Rigg transitioned from her 1960s pop-culture stardom into a highly respected, versatile actress across Hollywood films, American television, and prestigious West End and Broadway stage productions. After rising to global fame as Emma Peel in The Avengers and starring as Tracy Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, she spent the 1970s shedding her “action girl” stereotype. She established herself as a powerhouse of both classical drama and sharp comedy.
She starred alongside George C. Scott in The Hospital (1971), the critically acclaimed satirical film which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She made her Broadway debut in Abelard & Heloise (1971) and later starred in the acclaimed staging of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Rigg starred with Vincent Price in the cult-classic British horror-comedy Theatre of Blood (1973), which both actors frequently cited as one of their favorite films.
She moved to the United States to headline her own NBC sitcom, Diana, playing an English divorcee adjusting to life in New York. She showcased her musical talents by starring in the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s famous musical, A Little Night Music (1977).
Behind the scenes, Rigg was fiercely independent and openly critical of the demanding nature of Hollywood commercialism. When her American sitcom Diana failed to attract a large audience and was canceled after 13 episodes, she openly expressed relief, calling the experience “shitty” and noting that she dreaded the absolute commitment required by standard studio contracts.
On a personal front, she married Israeli painter Menachem Gueffen in 1973, though the marriage ended in divorce in 1976. Throughout the decade, she regularly appeared on British talk programs like the BBC Parkinson Interviews, where she charmed audiences with her sharp wit, level-headedness, and pride in her working-class Yorkshire upbringing.
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