In September 2020, Dame Diana Rigg died at the age of 82. At the time, people all over the world paid their respects to her incredible gift as an actress and the unforgettable legacy she left behind. But some are still feeling her loss acutely -- like director Edgar Wright, who spoke lovingly of the actress and Last Night in Soho star when asked about her recently.
Edgar Wright has worked with plenty of legendary actors and actresses -- but he seems to have developed a soft spot in his heart for Diana Rigg, even though they only worked together briefly. During a press conference for his new film Last Night in Soho at the Venice Film Festival, the filmmaker reflected on his conflicted feelings about the movie following Rigg’s death (via Deadline):
It’s difficult for me extricate the movie from working with her now because the movie was a very emotional experience to conceive and make and now that’s all tied up with the fact that Diana’s not with us anymore. I’m sad I won’t get to have a gossipy lunch with Dame Diana Rigg.
Wright’s words on Diana Rigg feel especially poignant because they are so personal. It’s easy to imagine the late actress sitting down to trade gossip with her friends (maybe because she brought Olenna Tyrell and her sharp tongue to life so perfectly). She had a remarkable career on the stage and screen that spanned decades and included roles like Emma Peel in the 1960s television series The Avengers, Countess Tracy di Vincenzo in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and a guest spot on Doctor Who (alongside her Soho co-star Matt Smith). Needless to say, she probably had really good gossip.
It’s also easy to sympathize with Edgar Wright -- it can’t be easy making final preparations for a film when one of its cast members has passed away. Production wrapped in the summer of 2019 -- and it ended up being the last film that the actress ever shot. To some, that may give her moments on screen in Last Night in Soho an extra layer of meaning.
In Last Night in Soho, Diana Rigg plays Miss Collins. It’s still not clear exactly how her character fits into the story -- especially since Wright has worked hard to keep spoilers from leaking before the film hits theaters. However, she can be briefly seen in its mind-bending first trailer. The film, which also stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie and Terrence Stamp, is a psychological thriller set in both the modern era and the 1960s.
It’s one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year, both because it’s Wright’s first endeavor since 2017’s Baby Driver, and because it’s his first pure horror film. Last Night in Soho will be released on October 21.
