13 October 1968: BRITISH ACTRESS DIANA RIGG WAS TODAY OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED AS THE LEADING FEMININE STAR IN THE NEW JAMES BOND FILM, IN WHICH GEORGE LAZENBY WILL PLAY THE 007 AGENT FOR THE FIRST TIME. IN THE FILM, MISS RIGG WILL BECOME BOND'S BRIDE AND TODAY IN LONDON SHE FORMALLY MET THE 29-YEAR-OLD LAZENBY, FOR THE BENEFIT OF PRESS AND CAMERAMEN.

PRODUCERS HARRY SALTZMAN AND ALBERT R. BROCCOLI, WITH DIRECTOR PETER HUNT, ANNOUNCED HER CASTING AFTER CONSIDERING SOME OF THE MOST GLAMOROUS ACTRESSES IN ENGLAND, AMERICA AND EUROPE.

BORN IN DONCASTER, YORKSHIRE, ON JULY 20, 1938, MISS RIGG WILL CO-STAR IN T HE ROLE OF TRACY, IN THE NEW BOND ADVENTURE "ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE."

SHE GAINED INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION STARDOM AS EMMA PEEL IN "THE AVENGERS" - A ROLE SHE GAVE UP TO CONCENTRATE ON THEATRICAL AND FILM WORK. MISS RIGG RECENTLY COMPLETED A STAR ROLE IN ANOTHER FILM - HER FIRST.

AFTER A SCREEN TEST WITH LAZENBY, DIRECTOR PETER HUNT SAID HE BELIEVED THEY HAD DISCOVERED A NEW SCREEN PARTNERSHIP.

THE NEW BOND FILM IS THE LATEST IN A SERIES ABOUT THE SECRET SERVICE HERO OF IAN FLEMING'S NOVELS.

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