Dame Diana Rigg has a bottle of prosecco every day after filming for ‘Victoria’.
The 79-year-old actress portrays bolshie Duchess of Buccleugh in the forthcoming series of the period drama and, although the majority of her scenes are hilarious for the audience, she has to keep a relatively straight face and, therefore, she has requested in her contract that she’s served a cold bottle of the sparkling wine when shooting wraps.
Speaking during a Q&A and screening of ‘Victoria’, held at Ham Yard Hotel in London on Thursday (24.08.17), Daisy Goodwin – who has written and created the show – said: "My favourite thing about Diana, at the end of the day, in the contract, she has a bottle of prosecco and she just drinks one glass and she shares the rest with the make up team."
And the 55-year-old writer was thrilled when she found out that Diana – who is known for her part in ‘Game of Thrones’ – had agreed to jump on board the second series.
She explained: "We were so thrilled when she agreed to play the Duchess of Buccleugh. I was basically writing and there was really only one person. I’d met her before, about 30 years ago, and I just remembered her so vividly from that so to see her again is just fantastic. She brings a certain asperity to the scene and set."
And Diana is relieved she didn’t have to wear a corset like the rest of the cast.
She said "I am beyond a corset so I don’t have to suffer that. I am not interested in having a wait – forget that.
"I only take half an hour in wardrobe and make up because I am long past improving my appearance, so try to have it all done as quickly and efficiently as possible."
But she did struggle getting in and out of horse drawn carriages for her scenes.
She added: "They are very high and impossible to get into and impossible to then get out of. There is very little that I have to acknowledge I can’t do anymore as an actress, but I can’t do that in front of cameras as it is very ungainly and almost impossible!"
Dame Diana Rigg’s bottle of wine after filming
