Actor Anthony Head, who is famous for appearing in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso, has died, his daughters have confirmed.
The 72-year-old starred as librarian Rupert Giles in the cult US supernatural TV series, led by Sarah Michelle Gellar, which ran from 1997 to 2003.
In comedy-drama series Ted Lasso, Head played former Richmond FC owner Rupert Mannion, the ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham’s character Rebecca.
Announcing his death, Head’s daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy Head, shared in a statement: ‘It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father, Anthony Head.’
They confirmed that he ‘passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family’.
‘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.
‘We know how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues, and fans of the shows he was in – he loved his job very much, and he always considered himself incredibly lucky to have been able to work alongside such exceptionally talented people in such wonderful productions across a career that spanned several decades.’
They concluded: ‘Our grief is far greater than the hole he has left behind, but we know his legacy will live on in the shows he was a part of and in the audiences that love them. How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us.
‘We kindly ask that our privacy is respected at this difficult time.’
Born in Camden Town, London, Head first rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s, appearing in the Nescafé Gold Blend television ads as one half of the Gold Blend couple alongside Sharon Maughan, with whom he began a slow-burning on-screen romance over a cup of coffee.
Head, known for his distinctive baritone voice, appeared in the ads from 1987 to 1993.
From there, he achieved stardom across the pond in Buffy. He was a regular until the show’s sixth season, before he began appearing only as a guest cast member until the show’s conclusion.
Head’s acting CV includes other roles in some of the most iconic programmes and movies, such as Little Britain, in which he played the Prime Minister, and The Inbetweeners as Will’s father.
He also had roles in Merlin, Motherland, Manchild, Silent Witness, Spooks, Doctor Who, and My Family.
Film-wise, Head made his silver screen debut in Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1981), with his string of subsequent roles including Imagine Me & You (2005), Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008), The Iron Lady (2011), A Street Cat Named Bob (2016), and, most recently, the 2024 rom-com Upgraded.
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