Diana Rigg Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Diana Rigg is an English actress who rose to fame by her role as Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers (1965-1968). One of her prominent roles was as Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond in the 1969 spy film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. She has appeared as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1968), as Lady Holiday in The Great Muppet Caper (1981), and as Arlena Marshall in Evil Under the Sun (1982). Rigg played the role of Miss Gillyflower alongside her real-life daughter, Rachael Stirling on the Doctor Who episode titled “The Crimson Horror” in 2013.

Born Name

Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg

Nick Name

Diana

Sun Sign

Cancer

Born Place

Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Residence

Hammersmith, London, England, United Kingdom

Nationality

Education

Diana went to Fulneck Girls School, in a Moravian settlement near Pudsey before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Occupation

Actress

Family

• Father – Louis Rigg (Railway Executive)
• Mother – Beryl Hilda (née Helliwell)
• Siblings – Hugh Rigg (Brother)

Manager

Rigg is represented by Dalzell and Beresford Ltd.

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 8½ in or 174 cm

Weight

58 kg or 128 lbs

Boyfriend / Spouse

Diana Rigg has dated –

1. Menachem Gueffen (1973-1976) – Diana Rigg and painter Menachem Gueffen got married on July 6, 1973. The marriage got dissolved through a divorce on September 3, 1976.
2. Archie Stirling (1977-1990) – Rigg and theatrical producer Archie Stirling started dating in 1977 and welcomed their daughter, Rachael Stirling (b. 1977). The duo tied the knot on March 25, 1982. Due to irreconcilable differences, the pair got separated after an 8-year long marriage, on August 31, 1990.

Race / Ethnicity

White

Hair Color

Dark Brown

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Defined Jawline
• Sculpted Nose

Religion

Christianity

Best Known For

• Playing the role of Teresa di Vicenzo (James Bond’s wife) in the 1969 British spy film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
• Enacting Emma Peel in the 1960 espionage British TV series, The Avengers (1965–1968)

First Film

Diana Rigg made her theatrical film debut in the 1968 fantasy film, A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Helena.

First TV Show

Diana Rigg made her first TV show appearance in 1961 on the drama series, Theatre Night as the King.

Diana Rigg Favorite Things

• Word – Kindness
• Book – The Art Of Eating by M. F. K. Fisher

Source – The Guardian

Diana Rigg Facts

1. She was born in Doncaster and spent her early years in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India due to her father’s job as a railway executive.
2. Rigg is fluent in Hindi.
3. She served as a chancellor at the Stirling University for more than a decade until 2008.
4. Diana started her professional stage career in 1957.
5. She played the bond girl in the 1969 British spy film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
6. Diana is a Scrabble player.
7. She stated that she had a near-death experience during a climb in Austria.
8. Rigg considers herself as short-tempered and impulsive.
9. Glenda Jackson and Siân Phillips were classmates with Rigg during their days in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
10. She has appeared in films like The Assassination Bureau (1969), Julius Caesar (1970), The Hospital (1971), Theatre of Blood (1973), and In This House of Brede (1975).
11. In 1988, she was made the “Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)”.
12. In the 1994 Birthday Honours, she was made the “Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)” for her services to drama.
13. During her teen years, Rigg became a smoker and by 2009, she used to consume 20 cigarettes in a day. She quitted smoking after suffering from cardiac ablation in December 2017 and claimed that her heart stopped beating during the surgery.
14. Diana is a patron of charities like Build Africa and has also served as the face of the charity’s child sponsorship scheme.
15. She was elected as the sexiest-ever TV star by TV Guide in the United States.
16. Rigg received an honorary degree from Stirling University in 1988 and from Leeds University in 1992.
17. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, she worked an associate member there.
18. Due to some health issues, Rigg turned down the role of Elizabeth in Paint Your Wagon (1969) and later the role went to Jean Seberg.
19. In 2013, Diana won the “Best Guest Actress” by the Doctor Who Magazine.
20. She considers Patrick Macnee as her acting coach and her best friend.
21. Rigg refused to replay her role as Emma Peel in the British spy series The New Avengers in 1976.
22. During the filming of The Avengers, Diana was being paid even less than the cameraman.
23. Diana Rigg doesn’t have any verified social media account.

Featured Image by Doctor Who Spoilers / Flickr / CC BY-2.0