Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Game of Thronesis one of the most popular and influential shows of the last few decades. The epic fantasy series was one of the most-watched shows for HBO. It had earned the most number of Primetime Emmy awards for a drama series in its eight-season run, winning Outstanding Drama Series four times.
The show has attracted some of the best actors in the business. Legendary actors such as Sean Bean, Charles Dance, and Peter Dinklage appeared in starring and supporting roles. Legendary actress Diana Rigg also starred in the series. She once reportedly stormed off the set as the crew was taking too much time to start shooting.
Also read:“I was the most junior of junior writers”: Game of Thrones Writer George R.R. Martin Reveals HBO’s Hit Drama Might Have Never Happened If He Hadn’t Worked in a Famous TV Remake
Diana Rigg inGame Of Thrones
Legendary actress Diana Rigg played the role of Queen Olenna Tyrell inGame of Thrones,was the matriarch of House Tyrell, and was the grandmother of Natalie Dormer’s Margaery Tyrell. The actress joined the series in the third season.
Diana Rigg’s Queen Tyrell was known for her quick wit as well as her diva behavior. She was the only character who could match the witty sarcasm ofPeter Dinklage’sTyrion Lannister. Apparently, the wit and pompousness were not limited to her character. Rigg was known to be an intimidating presence off-screen as well.
Also read:“Daenerys did nothing wrong”: Emilia Clarke Doesn’t Regret Dany’s Actions in Game of Thrones Season 8 – But She Does Regret Something Else from the Show
Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss spoke about their first meeting with the actress in the book ‘Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon’. Benioff said in the book(via Entertainment Weekly),
“We had tea with her. Dames don’t audition for you; you audition for them. We loved her, she was funny, she was bawdy, she was everything we wanted for that character.”
Rigg was known for starring in the James Bond filmOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service.She was also known for her starring role in the British TV seriesThe Avengers.
Also read:“Thank you Game of Thrones”: Zack Snyder Changed Jason Momoa’s Life Forever With an Offer When He Was Not Getting Any Jobs
Diana Rigg Stormed Off The Sets OfGame Of Thrones
Diana Rigg once reportedly stormed off the sets ofGame of Thronesafter the crew was delaying the shoot. Usually, Rigg would decide when she would be ready to film her scenes and the rest of the crew were supposed to be ready for it. However, on a particular day, the crew was still getting the set ready when Rigg announced that she would be shooting her scene.
Actress Jessica Henwick, who played Nymeria Sand in the show and was Rigg’s scene partner recounted the incident inFire Cannot Kill a Dragon (via Entertainment Weekly),
“She walked onto the set, and she went, ‘I’m ready now!’ A cameraman came over and went, ‘Well, okay, but we haven’t finished setting up.’ She interrupted him and said, ‘Roll the cameras!’ And she just started doing her lines. She did two takes, and then the guy came over and was like, ‘Great, now we’re going to do a close-up.’ And she just stood up and she went, ‘I’m done!’”
However, Rigg was in her late 70s at the time and was quite old. Hence, she could not exactly storm off the set in anger. But she sent the message in her own way. Henwick continued,
“Now, she can’t walk fast. She has to be helped. So basically, we just sat there and watched as Diana Rigg effectively did her own version of storming off the set, but it was at 0.1 miles per hour. She cracked me up. I loved her.”
The incident was on character for Queen Tyrell. Diana Rigg was nominated four times for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She passed away in 2020 at the age of 82.
Also read:“It was heartbreaking”: Jason Momoa Was Not Getting Any Jobs After Playing ‘Khal Drogo’ in Game of Thrones
Source:Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon (via Entertainment Weekly)
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
