Diana Rigg’s 10 Best Movie & TV Roles, Ranked By IMDb

Before audiences see English actor Diana Rigg play her final role in Last Night in Soho, it’s well worth taking a look back at her impressive career. Rigg starred in many high-profile projects throughout her career, more recently in a noteworthy HBO series known as Game of Thrones.

But it wasn’t just contending for the throne that made Rigg a household name. She has also been a part of The Avengers (though not the group with Iron Man) and has even had a run-in with a certain notorious superspy. Be it in movies or in life, Diana Rigg was well-versed in a litany of genres.

10 Countess Teresa Di Vicenzo: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – 6.7

The sixth film in the James Bond franchise, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the first made without the involvement of Sean Connery. While some fans of the franchise feel that George Lazenby’s one-and-done performance as Bond is the worst of the series, it remains other fans’ favorite movie in the franchise and Diana Rigg’s work as Countess Teresa di Vicenzo is formidable.

Having Vicenzo become James Bond’s wife was an interesting direction for the series that would later be revisited in No Time to Die. The ending here is more shocking, though, as shortly after the wedding Countess Vicenzo is gunned down in a car while Bond sits next to her. It’s a traumatic scene not too different from what happens in Ian Fleming’s book and a high point of the earlier Bond installments.

9 Lady Holiday: The Great Muppet Caper (1981) – 7.2

The Great Muppet Caper, the second in the franchise, follows the Muppets as they become embroiled in a jewel heist. While not entirely disliked, fans of the franchise put it towards the middle of the pack in Muppet movie rankings.

Rigg plays Lady Holiday, a fashion designer and the individual from whom the jewel was stolen. In terms of the human actors in the film, she has one of the larger roles alongside Charles Grodin as her brother, Nicky Holiday, (the true culprit of the theft).

8 Edwina Lionheart: Theatre Of Blood (1973) – 7.2

Theatre of Blood was an early ’70s horror-comedy featuring Vincent Price and Rigg in the leading roles. Price plays a scorned actor, while Riggs portrays his daughter, Edwina.

After her father is made fun of at an awards ceremony, Edwina teams up with him to take out the cruel critics one by one. The kills in the movie mirror famous Shakespeare’s plays, with Edwina’s eventual death being a play on Cordelia in King Lear, who was killed simply for supporting her father.

7 Lady Neville: Breathe (2017) – 7.2

Breathe tells the story of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield), a bedridden and terminally ill 28-year-old man. With the assistance of his wife, Diana (Claire Foy), and inventor Teddy Hall, Cavendish survives and utilizes his pain to assist others in similar situations.

This Andy Serkis-directed film featured Rigg as Lady Neville. The character is a major donor to the Disability Research Foundation: a staunch ally to Cavendish during his plight. Rigg gives a loving and patient performance in what would be one of her final films.

6 Mother Superior: The Painted Veil (2006) – 7.5

The Painted Veil featured Edward Norton as a bacteriologist studying infectious diseases in Shanghai. Norton’s Walter Fane must contend with both a loveless marriage to Kitty Garstin Fane (Naomi Watts) and the rapidly-spreading cholera epidemic.

Rigg enters the narrative once the Fanes’ marriage has been put on rocky terrain. When Kitty begins to put her hard-partying lifestyle behind her, she volunteers at an orphanage. The orphanage is run by French nuns, the leader of whom is Mother Superior. Rigg’s character has a substantial impact on the narrative, as she informs Kitty that Walter has a paternal instinct. This sets Kitty and Walter on a path towards reconciliation.

5 The Duchess Of Buccleuch: Victoria (2016 – 2019) – 8.2

Victoria was a British historical drama series that focused on the initial years of Queen Victoria’s (Jenna Coleman) leadership. Analyzed are her interactions with Lord Melbourne (Rufus Sewell) and Prince Albert (Tom Hughes), the latter of whom becomes the father of her children (including Victoria, Princess Royal).

Rigg’s character, the Duchess of Buccleuch, is somewhat of a mild antagonist to the titular character in the series’ second season. While the Duchess was a mild-mannered woman in her 30s in real life, the series thankfully took some creative liberties and brought on Rigg as an altered version of the real-life figure.

4 Herself: Extras (2005 – 2007) – 8.3

Rigg isn’t in much of her episode of Extras, but it’s an appearance memorable if only for its shock value and hilarious comedy. Playing herself, Rigg stars opposite Daniel Radcliffe, who is also playing a variation of himself.

In the episode, Radcliffe is portrayed as somewhat of a self-proclaimed lady’s man with little fear. It’s a surprising performance from the (at the time) fairly young Harry Potter star that culminates at the moment when he accidentally flicks a prophylactic onto Rigg’s head.

3 Emma Peel: The Avengers (1961 – 1969) – 8.3

Unrelated to Iron Man and his MCU team-ups, this 1960s British spy series featured Patrick Macnee and Rigg as John Steed and Emma Peel. While it would be adapted into a less-acclaimed movie starring Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman and Sean Connery, The Avengers series was a well-received television program that ran for six seasons over nine years.

Like many shows of the time, the male character is the focus, but it did have a habit of making its female partners strong characters as well, particularly after the show was reworked from having two male leads. Rigg’s Emma Peel was the most prevalent of these partners, starring in 51 episodes, as opposed to the star she replaced: Honor Blackman (Goldfinger).

2 Winifred Gillyflower: Doctor Who (2005 – ) – 8.6

Victoria wasn’t the only time Rigg worked with Jenna Coleman, as she also starred in an episode of Doctor Who‘s seventh series, titled “The Crimson Horror.”

In it, she plays Mrs. Gillyflower, a chemist dead set on starting a new world. Her plan: wipe out every human being save for the specific group she deems fit. Fans had a lot of fun watching the iconic Rigg attempt to send a poison-laced rocket into the heart of humanity.

1 Olenna Tyrell: Game Of Thrones (2011 – 2019) – 9.2

The ever-quotable Olenna Tyrell was a fan-favorite character on Game of Thrones. Rigg starred in 18 episodes of the crossover hit, turning in appearances throughout seasons 3 through 7.

Tyrell has a fairly substantial role in a show littered with backstabbing characters. However, she’s a different caliber of person: a warm presence in a sea of snakes. She provides sage wisdom, such as to Joffrey’s wife, Margaery, and even to Daenerys. In the latter case, she persuades the tactic of being a dragon over being a sheep.

About The Author

Ben Hathaway
(300 Articles Published)

Ben Hathaway is a Senior Writer (Lists) for Screen Rant. A former Therapeutic Day Treatment counselor, Ben is now a career writer. When not working, he is writing and self-publishing (on Amazon) novels under the name Scott Gray. In his spare time, he’s reading on the porch or watching every film under the sun. Ben can be contacted at [email protected].

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