Diana Rigg's role in All Creatures Great and Small marked heartbreaking end to career
Diana Rigg played Mrs Pumphrey in the Channel 5 staple, All Creatures Great and Small, when it first appeared on screens during the coronavirus pandemic. The family drama provided a much-needed sense of escapism for families during challenging times.
The eccentric character Mrs Pumphrey was one of Siegfried Farnon's (played by Samuel West) clients and she doted on her beloved dog, Tricki-Woo. Actress Diana died on September 10, 2020, at the age of 82 and her death came just days after the first season of the show was released.
The star died at her daughter Rachael Stirling's home in London and she said her mum died of cancer, with which she had been diagnosed in March that year. In an interview with The Guardian, Rachael said: "I will never forget the look in my mother’s eyes that day near the end; the 'north face of the Eiger', as my family christened it.
"You have seen it in Game of Thrones, that look. As the Queen of Thorns, she used it to great effect. Fixing me with it for the first time in these last months, she said: 'Rachie, it’s gone on too long – push me over the edge'."
Her acting job in All Creatures Great and Small marked her last small screen role and ended her extensive career.
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Diana Rigg in All Creatures Great and Small (Image: CHANNEL 5)She trained as an actress at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1955 to 1957, and she went on to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company a few years later.
Her final big-screen role was in a film called Last Night in Soho, in which she played Alexandra Collins. The film was released in 2021 posthumously.
The final time she was seen on the small screen was as Mother Dorothea in Black Narcissus, which was also released after her death.
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Following her death, Diana was replaced by Patricia Hodge in All Creatures Great and Small.
The cast of the show paid tribute to Diana, with James Herriot actor Nicholas Ralph telling PBS: "She was brilliant.
"Any anxiety you may have had before meeting her was completely washed away as soon as you did, because she was so lovely and easy to chat to.
"She had a twinkle in her eye, still had a wicked sense of humour, and she kept everyone on their toes."
All Creatures Great and Small season 5 will air on Channel 5 later this year
Diana Rigg's role in All Creatures Great and Small marked heartbreaking end to career
Diana Rigg's role in All Creatures Great and Small marked heartbreaking end to career
Diana Rigg's role in All Creatures Great and Small marked heartbreaking end to career
Diana Rigg's role in All Creatures Great and Small marked heartbreaking end to career
Diana Rigg's role in All Creatures Great and Small marked heartbreaking end to career
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