British actor Anthony Head, known to generations of American TV viewers through polar opposite characters named Rupert on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Ted Lasso,” has died, his family said Friday.
He was 72.
Head “passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family,” according to a statement from the actor’s daughters, Emily and Daisy Head.
U.S. television watchers best know him as the father-like mentor Rupert Giles of the supernatural action dramedy “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan.
Only Gellar, Hannigan and Nicholas Brendon appeared in more “Buffy” episodes than Head between 1997 and 2003.
Gellar, who played Buffy, mourned the death of Head in an Instagram post, using a quote from the show: “‘Tell Giles I figured it out and I’m ok’ Well I don’t have it figured out and I’m not ok. But I know I’m the lucky one because I knew you.”
“Thank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their dad with me, but with the world,” Gellar wrote.
“Anthony was a pillar in the Buffy universe and his kindness and sense of humor brought great energy to the set,” “Buffy” castmate David Boreanaz, who went on to star in the spinoff “Angel,” said in a statement to NBC News. “Prayers go out to his family.”
In recent years, Head turned heel as the philandering soccer club owner Rupert Mannion in the Emmy-winning comedy “Ted Lasso.” He played the foil to protagonists Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham from 2020 to 2023.
“Ted Lasso” writer and castmate Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent, said the on-screen jerk Head played couldn’t have been further from the actor in real life.
“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,” Goldstein wrote on Instagram.
“Infinitely charming and kind and fun and a joy. He will be sorely missed. Love to his family.”
Before coming to America, Head had a long and successful career in the United Kingdom with a background in both drama and comedy.
He appeared on “Little Britain,” a sketch show skewering U.K. culture that ran from 2003 and 2006, to frequently parody his dramatic persona.
“I am very sad indeed to learn of the passing of Tony Head,” “Little Britain” creator Matt Lucas said in a statement, posted on X.
“When we were casting Little Britain, we were looking for a ‘Tony Head-type’, because we never imagined for a moment that the man himself would be interested, but he was. Lucky us. He was unfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm. My heart goes out to Daisy and Emily.”
Perhaps less known among his American TV fans, Head might be one of the the U.K’s most famous pitchmen.
From 1987 to 1993, he appeared in a highly stylized series of TV ads for Nescafé Gold Blend instant coffee.
He and Sharon Maughan, “the Gold Blend couple,” played neighbors who flirted over instant coffee. Their spots ended in romantic cliffhangers and became a British cultural sensation.
Anthony Stewart Head was born on Feb. 20, 1954, the son of documentary filmmaker Seafield Head and actor Helen Shingler, whose brother is “One Night in Bangkok” singer Murray Head.
With acting clearly in his blood, Head trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before launching into his long stage and screen career.
Head’s heartbroken loved ones said they’re grateful the actor’s work will always be remembered.
“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,” according to the statement from his daughters.
“How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us.”
