Olenna Tyrell (née Redwyne) is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones.

Olenna is characterized by her cunning, ambition and sharp wit (the latter of which being the foundation for her title, the Queen of Thorns, with the Tyrell sigil of a rose).

[1][2] Rigg received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performances in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018.

[3] Olenna is not a point of view character in the novels, so her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Sansa Stark and Cersei Lannister.

Varys warns Olenna that Petyr Baelish has designs on Sansa, who, given the death or disappearance of all her brothers, is now the key to the North.

Later, Tyrion, as Master of Coin, meets with Olenna to discuss the enormous cost of Joffrey and Margaery's wedding, hoping to get her to agree to scale back the plans she helped make for the event.

Quietly admitting her actions, Olenna advises Margaery to become acquainted with her new match, Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's younger brother and heir, before Cersei turns him against her.

When Loras is arrested by the recently reinstated Faith Militant for his homosexuality, Margaery writes to her grandmother who returns to the capital to protect her grandchildren from Cersei's schemes.

Mistakenly believing Loras's arrest was simply meant to humiliate House Tyrell, she helplessly assists Olyvar's testimony which incriminates her grandson, as well as to Margaery's incarceration for perjury in front of the gods to protect her brother.

Margaery feigns loyalty and manages to instruct Olenna to leave the city when the High Sparrow threatens her life.

Cersei's plotting ultimately causes the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, killing Margaery, Loras, Mace and the High Sparrow.

A grieving Olenna is invited to Dorne to meet with Ellaria Sand, who has seized control of the region and rebelled against the Lannisters.

[12] During a meeting with Daenerys' allies at Dragonstone, Olenna shows her doubts about Tyrion Lannister's plan to attack King's Landing using the Tyrell and Dornish forces but eventually agrees.

[13][14] Screen Rant called Rigg's performance full of energy and fun, saying that the character is "refreshing" and has "sassy put-downs and blunt talk, she is likely the closest thing to comic relief we have in the show.