Does Diana Rigg sign Avengers photographs?

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:36 pm

There are lots of actors who are uncomfortable in these 'forced' situations. My father worked with John Thaw more than with any other actor - The Avengers, Sweeney, Mitch, Betty Buchus and many others - but Thaw was always embarassed by fan requests, he wanted to film and go home. I think lots of actors are like that.

ricardomartins · Post by **ricardomartins** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:19 am

Why doesn't Dianna Rigg like to talk about / sign autographs on "The Avengers"?

I mean, what's the big deal? After all, The Avengers made her fame and without it she wouldn't have had a third of the acting jobs she did later.

She's known around the world for being Mrs. Peel on The Avengers not from her theatre work.

helenofirvine · Post by **helenofirvine** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:45 am

ricardomartins wrote:Why doesn't Dianna Rigg like to talk about / sign autographs on "The Avengers"?

I mean, what's the big deal? After all, The Avengers made her fame and without it she wouldn't have had a third of the acting jobs she did later.

She's known around the world for being Mrs. Peel on The Avengers not from her theatre work.

That would be a great question to ask Ms. Rigg. However, we can only speculate by what we do know, and what blind assumptions I might make!

Ok, here's my best guess. It could be:

a) She had a horrible time working on the series... long hours... low pay... fear of being stereotyped... new medium... worried if it would hurt her stage career in the short and long term... In other words, was this a good move for her at the time. There was no way for her to know that.

b) She ran with the "Highstreet" crowd which tended to have an elitist viewpoint that the stage was "real" theatre and television the orphan child for those common folk. That it was not "real" theatre and thus could only dampen her skills, not improve them. She was also very image conscious of the crowd she ran with and wanted to be sure she didn't lose any lustre in their eyes, for it might then hurt her career.

c) She was trying to prove herself as a "real" actress to her family, who were initially (?) against her having a career in theatre, as real people work real jobs. Did this move work against her proving herself to her family in theatre by taking a television job?

Ok, these are my speculations based upon a "loose" reading of the tea leaves. But I really know nothing. I'm sure only Diana knows her reasons. And that's fine with me.

She has given us many memorable performances both on television and on the stage.

kim · Post by **kim** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:01 am

And to add a few more leaves to Helen's tea:

1. Diana Rigg is a very, very gifted actress. She's proven that time after time after time, both on stage and on film. She took a job 40 years ago to pay the bills, get her name out there, etc. It was fun, it lasted all of two years, and it got her a few more jobs. Those jobs got her more jobs where she proved herself to be an extraordinary woman. She's received awards and critical acclaim for most of her work
after the Avengers. But oddly enough, a good portion of her fans want to discuss Emma Peel and the Avengers.

To say that the show made her a star is almost an insult to the woman's obvious gifts as an actress. Obviously we'll never know, but I think it's safe to say she would have done just fine without the Avengers.

2. I'm sure that anyone would be sick and tired of hearing and discussing the same stuff for over forty years. Especially when other things, greater things, have happened since then.

3. A lot of fans fell in love with Emma Peel. They wanted to be like Emma Peel (at least those of the female persuassion did

). She was beautiful, strong, intelligent, rich. She could solve a crime in under 57 minutes, with or without Steed. All well and good. But I'd bet a million dollars right now, that Dianna Rigg has never wrestled with a plant from outerspace, found out her husband had been missing in a jungle for several years, was nearly drowned by a group of crazy small town citizens, or gotten knocked in the head by a cybernaut. I'm even willing to bet she doesn't know any man by the name of John Steed. Unfortunately, some of her fans can't see the line between reality and fantasy and I'm sure after so many years of this, her patience has got to be at an end.

4. Almost every single interviewer will bring up the Avengers at one point or another, or will at the very least show a photo of her from 40 years ago.

Anyone would become sick and tired of it after awhile. Think of it this way. Did you do something as a child that family and friends bring up at every gathering? (if not, lucky you). It's hard enough after so many years, to hear about it once or twice a year. Now immagine it being brought up at least once a week for the rest of your life.

Kind of makes you want to put the Emma Peel pictures away and get out something a little more recent for her to autograph doesn't it?

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:46 am

I've heard the main reason she dislikes signing Avengers stuff is that the person in the pictures long ago ceased to be "her" as it were. She's not 28 anymore, and finds it baffling that people still think of that way all these years later. I get the impression that her treatment on the series has rather soured her view on it as well.

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 7:26 am

DiVicenzo wrote: I have just heard that 'The Avengers' is a no-no. Even when Linda (Thorson) broached the subject she told her that she didn't want to talk about it - according to Linda. So, I'm not tempting fate

I think that's a bit disloyal, as well as unprofessional, of Linda Thorson to reveal that information of a colleague.

Timeless A-Peel wrote:I've heard the main reason she dislikes signing Avengers stuff is that the person in the pictures long ago ceased to be "her" as it were. She's not 28 anymore, and finds it baffling that people still think of that way all these years later.

I read that too.

Look to be honest, I don't think Diana Rigg is doing anything wrong by not wanting to talk about, what amounts to, 18 months/two years of her career. Or sign autographs relating to that time. Avengers fans will just have to put up or shut up about it.

helenofirvine · Post by **helenofirvine** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:30 am

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:I think that's a bit disloyal, as well as unprofessional, of Linda Thorson to reveal that information of a colleague.

Don't know that its disloyal or unprofessional as this meeting with Diana and Linda appeared in a public event (?) and as such it could have been overheard anyway...

But you are right, it is Diana's right and business what she wants to discuss or sign...

DiVicenzo · Post by **DiVicenzo** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:10 am

helenofirvine wrote:
Dandy Forsdyke wrote:I think that's a bit disloyal, as well as unprofessional, of Linda Thorson to reveal that information of a colleague.
Don't know that its disloyal or unprofessional as this meeting with Diana and Linda appeared in a public event (?) and as such it could have been overheard anyway...

But you are right, it is Diana's right and business what she wants to discuss or sign...

Well, it took place in Diana's dressing room during 'Suddenly Last Summer'.

Post by **Allard** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:30 am

Thinking of the image I get of Rigg's personality in interviews., I think the main reasons why she doesn't like to talk about the Avengers is that she found it one of the least acting jobs she ever did. Diana is a theatre actor for great plays with real depth. Just here her talk in that interview about what Laurence Olivier said to her about how to play Lady MacBeth (oops sorry The Scottish Play). And I can understand a bit that when people always ask you about that one TV show you did, it's starts to get annoying after all those years. And yes I think she is a bit snooty but she also has that sixties mentality of living today and doing new things and let by-gone's be by-gone's.

ricardomartins · Post by **ricardomartins** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:22 pm

I respect that Diana Rigg is rather tired of talking about the same thing 40 years after. But think about Honor Blackman. What do you think people talk to her about after all these years? Of Pussy Galore, of Cathy Gale of course.

If Diana Rigg visited my country, I'd bet a millian dollars and garantee you that everyone from politicians to general public would wanna talk to her about The Avengers or her role as a Bond girl.

As good and fantastic as she can be on the theatre or film (and I've seen some of her later work), she could use a bit more flexibility in her Avengers memories.

To me, as I know some people that do theatre and TV, when they have all that noble talking of how theatre is "the real stuff" and "quality thing", they sound to me like snobs and rather amnesiac of how they can pay their bills through the years.