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Bond Girl, Diana Rigg Dies at 82 — Fans Mourn the 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Avengers' Star

Odette Odendaal
By Odette Odendaal
Sep 11, 2020
09:47 A.M.

Dame Diana Rigg, who recently starred as the no-nonsense grandmother Olenna Tyrell in hit television series "Game of Thrones," passed at the age of 82 after an illness.

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Dame Diana Rigg became a respected actress through her decades acting on stage, television, and film, and her daughter, Rachael Stirling, shared news of her passing.

The only woman to play Mrs. James Bond to date, Rigg spent the final months of her life reflecting on how she lived it, and her achievements along the way.

Dame Diana Rigg attends the 2nd Canneseries - International Series Festival : Day Two on April 06, 2019, in Cannes, France. | Source: Getty Images.

Dame Diana Rigg attends the 2nd Canneseries - International Series Festival : Day Two on April 06, 2019, in Cannes, France. | Source: Getty Images.

RIGGS HAD SEVERAL NOTABLE ROLES

Recently, Rigg also acted in ITV's "Victoria and Mrs. Pumphrey," and a Channel 5 adaptation of "All Creatures Great and Small." She became Mrs. Bond in the 1969 "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" while starring opposite the 007 at the time, George Lazenby, who said he felt "so sad" upon news of her death.

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With four Tony Award nominations and one win for her role in the stage play "Medea" in 1994, Sir Tom Stoppard called her a "luminous" talent, while one of her former co-stars, Samuel West, added:

"Doesn't really make sense to think of her having died. She generally lived the hell out of everyone."

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HOW SHE PASSED

Rigg's daughter shared that she was diagnosed with cancer in March, which sadly led to her death. Stirling added that Riggs felt a deep sense of pride in her profession and added:

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"My Beloved Ma died peacefully in her sleep early this morning, at home, surrounded by family. I will miss her beyond words."

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TRIBUTES TO RIGG

Nikolaj Coster Waldau played Jaime Lannister on "Game of Thrones," and had nothing but praise after working with Rigg on the series, as he wrote on social media after news broke of her death:

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Fans also shared their sadness upon hearing the news. Some grew up watching her acting in productions such as "The Avengers" back in the day, and recalled her being "supremely talented."

As they poured their hearts out, fans used several adjectives that described her as an extraordinary talent, such as the following social media user who wrote:

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ANOTHER LEGEND RECENTLY DIED

The acting community sadly said a final farewell to another legend in the industry, when "Kojak" star Kevin Dobson also passed away a few days ago.

Dobson celebrated his 77th birthday in March, and over the years, he became known for his veteran rights activism as much as he did for his acting. He reportedly passed in a hospital in Stockton, California.

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