New Diana Rigg Biography Hits Bookshelves in September
“ONE TOUGH DAME: THE LIFE AND CAREER OF DIANA RIGG … explores, to full capacity, her humanity, fearlessness, endurance, tenacity, her most beloved performances, and so much more.”
So writes Rupert Macnee, son of actor Patrick Macnee in the foreword for One Tough Dame: The Life and Career of Diana Rigg, Herbie J Pilato’s new biography of the legendary actress.
Alongside the elder Macnee as Mr. John Steed, Rigg initially found fame as super sleuth Mrs. Emma Peel in the 1960s BBC/ABC-TV espionage series, The Avengers.
Courtesy of Herbie J Pilato
Deemed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1994, Rigg (who died in 2020) was a classically trained and multi-award-winning thespian. She was and remains renowned for a diverse body of work — from her big-screen debut in 1969 as Countess Teresa di Vincenzo, wife of James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, to her Tony Award-winning leading role in Medea on Broadway, culminating with her Emmy-nominated portrayal as Lady Olenna Tyrell on the heralded small screen gem, Game of Thrones.
One Tough Dame, which also includes an introduction by Avengers director and stunt coordinator Ray Austin, traces Rigg’s career as a renowned star of television, film, and the stage. Pilato includes insights from rare, archived interviews, encompassing both video dialogues conducted by the University of Kent and Oxford Union.
Albert Mackenzie Watson/TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection
The meticulously curated archival material in One Tough Dame is complemented by equally-rare photos, and retrospections drawn from diverse media sources and hitherto unpublished accounts from the people who knew Rigg best, affording readers an unprecedented, all-encompassing glimpse into her private world.
In addition to exclusive commentary from Rupert Macnee and Ray Austin, One Tough Dame includes all-new recollections from actors Samuel West, Bernie Kopell, Barbara Barrie, Juliet Mills, John Schuck, and Damon Evans; director Bruce Beresford; and documentarian David Naylor, among others.
In all, One Tough Dame: The Life and Career of Diana Rigg delivers the goods and offers an in-depth perspective of a beloved, brave, brilliant and trailblazing actor. You can order the book here.
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