Dame Diana Rigg has an excellent new interview with The Daily Beast. Rigg is currently starring on Game of Thrones as Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns. Rigg is 76 years old, and it sometimes feels like she’s having the time of her life on GoT – she’s like the Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey, a salty-tongued truth-teller and shade-thrower. You can read Rigg’s full interview here – she talks a lot about GoT and feminism, amongst other subjects. Some highlights:
Filming the scene with Littlefinger in the brothel: “I loved that! I thought I’d have a photograph taken and use it as a birthday card. There were broken dildos all over the floor—ceramic dildos. At my age, shock was a long way off.”
The rape of Sansa Stark: “I think people just don’t like to be confronted with that sort of reality, and obviously react. But the fact of the matter is it does go on—not least of which in Africa and places of war. Wherever there’s a war, there’s rape.”
Demanding a higher salary on The Avengers in the 1960s: “They painted me as a mercenary person, which I wasn’t being at all, I just wanted parity. I thought it was ridiculous that I was being paid less than a cameraman, and I wanted to shame them. And I did.”
She didn’t want to be the face of second-wave feminism: “They approached me, and by that time they were very, very politicized, and quite honestly, I’ve always thought it was a question of money, largely. You can’t actually legislate what goes on in people’s minds and their attitudes, but you certainly can legislate for parity where pay and salaries are concerned. In the tennis world, for example, Billie Jean King did the most wonderful battle against the inequalities that were happening there, and got a lot of respect for it. If you’re earning equal pay to a man you get respect. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. Everything else follows. And if a woman has her own money and is in a relationship, she’s free to do exactly what she wants, and doesn’t have to answer to the man.”
1960s London: “FUN with a capital F-U-N. There were quite a few wild times. I remember Paul McCartney arriving on my doorstep quite out of the blue. He had their latest record, Sgt. Pepper’s. He just arrived, said he wanted to meet me, and gave me this record and it was absolutely charming… and that was it!”
You know how some people are obsessed with World War II or the Civil War or the Jazz Age or whatever? For me, that’s London in the 1960s. If I could go back to any place and time, I would want to see London in the ‘60s. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, all of the models and actresses and artists… it just seems like that was such a cool moment. As for Rigg’s thoughts on feminism and everything else… I kind of agree with her. Oh, and she says she gets along really well with all of the younger ladies on GoT and they all teasingly call her “Dame.”
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I totally want to eat lemon cakes with her.
+1.
Or this: Her PLUS Helen Mirren! Together! with cake and tea and strong drinks and oh can you imagine!?!?! A friend gave me a DVD set of Avengers shows for Christmas and it is amazing.
BOOTS. BOOTS. Snark! Fun!
London. Sixties. Yeah I’d want to go back to that place/time as well. I’d shop at Biba! and dance!! I have always wondered how life got so suburban drab after that. And now we are in a tight ass nod-from-the neck no-fun creepy be-the-same 401K-is-why-you-are-born culture run by guys who live in basements. Branding! Strap this to your wrist and march! Here comes the drones! Be careful — product recall! Be careful, be one of these jobs only for a secure old age! Buy a condo now! Lol. What a drag.
My parents met at a mod club in London in the 60s!
That explains everything.
Sixer, that is SO AWESOME!!
Just think: the 60s club air they breathed in is somehow now part of you!!!
I worked with an amazing vivid woman once who, as a college fashion student from EU, nannied for the kids of Vanessa Redgrave during the making of Camelot in the 60s. The stories she told us!!! Her memories were amazing. Celebs, wild crazy escapades, famous lovers, insane gossip, oh my god. She would draw what she”d worn to each London club escapade. She was so much fun. Maybe she danced next to your parents!
Now I totally want to watch A Hard Day’s Night.
I can’t believe Austin Powers is your dad, that is so cool.
I’m going to tell Mr Sixer Senior that you said that, mimif! He’ll never speak to you again!
Liberty: I’ve never thought of it like that, but yes, that’s supercool! The photos of them in their salad days are hilarious.
Liberty: +100,000,000!
Sixer: Shagadelic!
OMG! Yes! There’s a version of Midsummer Nights Dream from the 60s with her, Helen Mirren, and a green-painted but otherwise naked Judi Dench. I want to watch it with the three of them while eating lemon cakes and drinking sherry.
She totally looks like an older Kim Cattrall.
I want her to be my grandma. And friend. I don’t know her but I love lady Olenna.
I hope she’ll hook up with the High Sparrow so he’ll stop bitching about who has done what in King’s Landing.
YES
It would be fun to go out to dinner and share a bottle of wine with Diana Rigg, I bet she has some great stories to tell.
“But the fact of the matter is it does go on—not least of which in Africa and places of war.”
Errr… this line rubbed me the wrong way. Rape is as big of an issue in Africa as it is in the UK or the US. She could’ve just said “places of war” and made her point perfectly fine. To tack on Africa there seems… i don’t know what word to use here… insensitive, maybe?
I don’t think it’s untoward. She could have named countries, rather than a continent, but rape has been used as a weapon of war in (various countries and regions of) Africa and it has not any time recently in North America or Western Eirope.
I’m not denying that rape has been used as a weapon of war in some African countries, but as you said, she could/should have named specific instances rather than just citing the entire continent. Or maybe give examples as to “the places of war” because phrasing it as “Africa and places of war” seems to equate the two (as in Africa is a place of war). Does that make sense? I feel petty but this truly bothers me, lol.
I don’t think you’re being petty, tifzlan, you have a valid point.
I took it the complete opposite way, that we shouldn’t be quick to generalize. Because unfortunately, a lot of people do assume that rape as a weapon is only used “in Africa and places of war”. Does that makes sense, or did I get it completely wrong?
Rereading the sentence again, i can see how you would take it the other way around but i still think it’s a little odd to throw in Africa into it and then say “places of war” at the end. It’s a bit of a generalization to say that all of Africa has this problem, and to me, it seems to equate Africa with places of war, which also rubs me the wrong way.
Yeah, you’re right. She could have been much more specific with her statement.
I think it would’ve been more accurate to say rape is still an epidemic everywhere, including in the West, as well as countries plagued by war and poverty.
I think she was using Africa as a generalized example of the SCALE of rape in war torn countries~of course rape exists everywhere (check out #firstharassed) but it is a weapon of war to be used against a population in these countries, not isolated, singular episodes.
I expect she was referring to Boko Haram when she mentioned Africa. That’s who popped into my head when I read that. All those girls and women who are still missing…
Eh, there’s something to be said that “Africa” is an unfairly broad description, but given the ongoing maddness in the Congo (that gets regularly brushed aside these days) I take her point. Yes rape is a worldwide issue for all but women in that particular region in Africa are facing it at a rate we women of the West cannot really comprehend.
Well, again, maybe she should have named specific wars/countries in Africa where this is occurring. Not denying that rape is used as a weapon of war, but to just say Africa is generalizing, imo.
Yeah that felt very weird. Maybe the news of the returned girls the boko haram abducted she felt they were a pretty good example of rape in wars, but it feels weird to just say Africa. And it’s just not in places of wars where rape is happening it goes on everywhere unfortunately.
Yeah, ‘Africa’ is continent encompassing 54 countries and hundreds of languages, cultures, traditions. To just say ‘Africa’ is odd. And i totally agree with your last sentence.
I thought that citing Africa was a problematic generalisation. As a white woman, I do find white feminists tend to think that non western places like India are intrinsically more sexiest than western countries. They tend to justify with sweeping generalisations. So it might be a reflection of that attitude?
@Nebby you’re right, the tragic reality is that rape happens everywhere.
It’s more likely that she said “the fact of the matter is it does go on — not least of which in Africa…”, stumbled a bit for more countries, and then said “and places of war.”
Not everything has to be some controversial statement.
I agree- I was thinking that she was referring to Bosnia*, WW2 France, Germany, Asia- I’m sure it went on in Korea, Vietnam and all types of war torn/occupied areas. That is one of the reasons why Angelina Jolie’s & William Hague’s PSVI conference, report, London School of Economics program, etc. is so momentous & important- rape should NOT be a “fact of life” in war or in everyday life, even in Winterfell. It’s good people were shocked & disgusted over Sansa- hopefully, it will spur them to awareness/action. I also loved Diana in The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries- I wish they made more!
*I recall my Grandma still being sharp, but sometimes struggling for a word or two- heck, I do it now!
It is controversial though. It makes it seem like rape only happens in Africa and then other places that are at war. That is an ignorant statement because rape happens everywhere at all times. At best this is a poorly worded statement; perhaps she was trying to convey that in times of war rape happens a lot more, but I’m not sure why she had to throw an entire continent into it. I do love her on the show though, but this dampens my enthusiasm for her.
Yep. There are also generational factors to consider. Want it noted here too, i’ve been raped and assaulted in other ways and i’m a grown woman.
I remember Helen Mirren saying something to the effect of “just lay back and wait until it’s over” (paraphrased). She was commenting on rape being common in her day and she was raised in a different era.
We get upset when women who’ve seen and experienced a lot more for more years on earth don’t speak in modern day approved phrases. But I’m offended on behalf of Diana Rigg and Helen Mirren that today’s women and men, and anyone younger than those women, won’t just let them speak their own truth without criticizing them for it.
They have other stuff going on, other interests. They’re not necessarily hip to what is ok today or exact proper phrasing. If we can’t cut people some slack this world is going to get so unhealthy for everyone I worry about it a fair bit. Also, as I continue to age, I speak far less because everyone is jumping on everyone else for every little word and phrase, it’s freaking awful trying to communicate anymore.
She’s definitely one of my favorites on GOT. When she shows up in a scene, it improves by 100%.
She’s so good as Olenna, plays her perfectly. It’s so refreshing to see a wickedly clever and witty mature woman upstaging all the testicular war lords on the show.
Yes! I loved when Tywin Lannister was all like, I’m giving you the honor of marrying your grandson to Cersie’s and she gave the side-eye and caed her “Old”.
Also loved her scene last season with Tyrion when he is asking for money for Jeoffrey’s wedding and she was like “I heard you were full of drunken debauchery, imagine my diss appointment to find a browbeaten bookkeeper”. Perfectly delivered.
Ahem, where does one find a ceramic dildo?
Pottery Barn. The adult section. 😉
DEAD.
Add that to your registry!
Oh snap! You guys are killing me.
CB2 has some more affordable ones.
I had this mental image of the prop department ordering a crate full of ceramic dildos and then gleefully smashing them all over the floor.
The GoT prop dept. If you ask nicely they might give you one 😉
Maybe if JayZ hasn’t given them all to Beyoncé already.
Seriously my phone just autocorrected to add the accent mark to her name.
That’s actually a very interesting take on the issues. I may not 100% agree but she’s thought provoking. I’m glad I can still love her, actresses have been dropping like flies from my esteem in recent years.
Seriously. Most of them just need to stick to acting.
Until GoT she was always Lady Holiday from the Great Muppet Caper, to me.
Ah…Simpler times
Forever Emma Peel. 😍
Yes, to me too!
Absolutely.
I was totally obsessed with The Avengers in the 1960s, I wanted to BE Diana Rigg (or Mrs. Peel) and wear black leather jumpsuits and boots and beat up bad guys. She’s always been an amazing icon that so many younger actresses have emulated. I LURVE HER!
I did get to London in 1965 and wandered Carnaby St., in and out of the crazy boutiques. It was one of those moments in my life that I’m forever grateful for. Last time I was in London (2005) you couldn’t recognize it, it’s all poshed up now. Anyway, that’s my 2 farthings’ worth on how much I admire her!
Ultimate respect for this lady. I want her to be my grandma.
She has aged horribly!
Wow!
1. She’s 76. Can she not be allowed to look her age?
2. Would you prefer to be so tightly puled that her pubic hair becomes her eyebrows?
3. Who cares??? She is a fabulous actress with decades’ worth of memorable performances, both on stage and on screen. She was a magnificent role model for women. Why are a few wrinkles the first issue that characterises her?