Anthony Head, a British actor best known for his roles in TV shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso, Merlin, and Little Britain, died at the age of 72.
In the late 1990s, Head rose to international recognition as Rupert Giles on the blockbuster supernatural teen program Buffy.
He played the prime minister in Little Britain, King Uther Pendragon in Merlin, and former football club owner Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso.
His daughters Emily and Daisy confirmed that he died peacefully of pneumonia complications, surrounded by family.
According to his daughters’ statement, “it is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father”.
“It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many.”
They also stated that they knew “how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues, and fans of the show he was in”, and that he “loved his job very much” and “always considered himself incredibly lucky”.
His family noted that “his legacy will live on” and that they were “lucky” to have witnessed him doing what he loved throughout his career.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who plays the eponymous Buffy, shared photos of herself with Head on Instagram.
“Tell Giles I figured it out and I’m fine.” I don’t have everything worked out, and I’m not doing well. “But I know I’m the lucky one because I knew you,” she wrote. “Thank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their dad with me, but with the world.”
David Boreanaz, who co-starred with Head in Buffy, said, “RIP. He was such a nice and generous soul.
Fellow Buffy co-star James Marsters remarked, “He was an unflaggingly kind and steady presence on the set of Buffy, and the best actor in the cast… I was lucky to have known and learned from him.”
Matt Lucas, creator and star of Little Britain, characterized Head as “unfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm”.
“When we were casting Little Britain, we were seeking a ‘Tony Head-type’, since we never thought the man himself would be interested, but he was. Lucas said, “Lucky us.”
Head has also played Geoffrey Howe in The Iron Lady and appeared in Doctor Who, Persuasion, The Inbetweeners, and Manchild.
He also appeared in Ted Lasso in 2020 as Rupert Mannion, the former Richmond FC owner and the ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham’s character, Rebecca Welton.
Brett Goldstein, their co-star and show’s writer, stated, “Anthony Head was a brilliant actor who played the worst person in the world, which was an incredible skill because he was the best person.”
Head rose to prominence in the UK in the 1980s as the face of Nescafe coffee advertisements on television.
He was part of the Gold Blend duo with Sharon Maughan, and their coffee-themed advertising was popular between 1987 and 1993.
Maughan expressed her “broken-hearted” reaction to Head’s death. “I guess they were iconic, but I don’t think that was the intention at the beginning,” she added. “Tony and I were just two actors who landed this gig, and we had a wonderful friendship…
