It stands to reason that with the sprawling cast of big personalities on the HBO series “A Game of Thrones,” someone was going to clash with the show’s directors. There are dozens of talented performers in major roles and even more in the surrounding cast, and with the difficulties of filming complicated scenes with tons of extras and uncomfortable period costumes, it’s honestly shocking there wasn’t more conflict on set. One actor took exactly zero guff from anyone, however, and not only beefed with directors but stopped filming when she stormed off of the set: the late Dame Diana Rigg, who portrayed the steely and smart Lady Olenna Tyrell, matriarch of the Tyrell family. While such behavior would be unseemly and frustrating from most actors, when it’s an absolute living legend like Rigg, things are a little different. Some of the crew, especially directors, found her intimidating, while some of her cast-mates were delighted by her no-nonsense attitude.
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In the “Game of Thrones” behind-the-scenes book “Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon” (courtesy of Entertainment Weekly), cast and crew remembered how Rigg would fight with directors over how her character should act and one particular instance when she shut everything down by simply walking off-set. When you played one of the best Bond girls of all time and have been given a Damehood for your contributions to your craft, you’ve kind of earned the right to be a bit feisty.
Dame Diana Rigg gave the Game of Thrones directors some grief
Though the final season of “Game of Thrones” was plagued with problems that left a bad taste in many fans’ mouths, the sharp-tongued Lady Olenna was always a delight until her absolutely incredible death in season 7. (Maybe the lack of Olenna was part of the problem with that final season, honestly.) Director Mark Mylod said that he “was terrified of Diana Rigg,” and that one time after he gave her a note she disagreed with it and said she was going to perform the scene her way, “thank you,” and it made him feel like a “five-year-old boy.” It seems like she was particular and could be short with people, but she wasn’t abusive, just very set in her ideas of how Lady Olenna should behave.
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Jessica Henwick, who portrayed Dornish baddie Nymeria Sand, remembered a time when Rigg decided to storm off set in her own particular way:
“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!’ 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.”
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Picturing Rigg shuffling off-set with someone’s help with the same attitude as someone truly storming off in a quick huff is pretty fantastic and feels especially in-character for Lady Olenna. The great Dame Rigg will forever be missed, but I’m thankful that some of her incredible strength and attitude was captured onscreen through her “Game of Thrones” performance.
