Anthony Head, 'Buffy' and 'Ted Lasso' actor, dies at 72 from pneumonia complications
The British actor, best known as Rupert Giles in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and Rupert Mannion in 'Ted Lasso', died on 1 June at his family home in Bath, his daughters announced on 5 June.
Death announced by his daughters
British actor Anthony Head has died at the age of 72. His daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy Head, announced his passing in a statement to the Press Association and the BBC on 5 June, revealing that he had died four days earlier. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of our extraordinary father," the statement read. "He passed away peacefully from complications of pneumonia, surrounded by his family." The death occurred on 1 June at the family residence in Bath, Somerset, and was made public only after a private funeral, in accordance with his wishes.
It has been, is, and will always be an honour and a privilege to be his daughters. We have witnessed the impact that he and his work have had on so many people.
A career-defining role as Rupert Giles
Born in London on 20 February 1954, Head was the son of documentary filmmaker Seafield Head and actress Helen Shingler, and the brother of singer Murray Head. He began his career in the successful musical Godspell, which led to television roles on both the BBC and ITV. International fame arrived with his portrayal of Rupert Giles, the librarian and Watcher who mentors Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy Summers in the cult series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', which aired from 1997 to 2003. Head was a main cast member for the first five seasons and later returned in a recurring guest role.
'Buffy' cast pays tribute
Gellar posted a carousel of photos on Instagram, writing: "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." James Marsters, who played Spike, called Head "the best actor in the cast" and wrote: "There's a hole in the world." David Boreanaz remembered him as "so kind and generous of a soul," while Charisma Carpenter noted that Head "brought to life a character who, for so many people, represented the father figure they needed but didn't have at home."
He was an unflaggingly kind and steady presence on the set of Buffy, and the best actor in the cast. He was the best of us.
Later roles in 'Ted Lasso' and beyond
More recently, Head gained a new generation of fans as Rupert Mannion, the vindictive ex-husband of AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton, in the Apple TV+ comedy 'Ted Lasso'. Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent, described him as "a brilliant actor who could play the worst person in the world while being the best person himself." Head's extensive television credits also include appearances in 'Doctor Who', 'Bridgerton', 'Little Britain' (where he played the Prime Minister), 'The Iron Lady', 'Silent Witness', and 'Jack Ryan'. In the UK, he was also widely recognised for a series of romantic Nescafé advertisements in the 1980s, co-starring Sharon Maughan.
Infinitely charming, kind, funny and a joy.
A family and a series in mourning
Head had lost his life partner, animal rights activist Sarah Fisher, in December 2025 at the age of 61. His death is the latest loss for the 'Buffy' cast, following the passing of Nicholas Brendon in March 2026 and Michelle Trachtenberg in January 2025 at age 39. Head's daughters closed their statement by acknowledging the breadth of his legacy: "Our grief is far greater than the gap he leaves behind, but we know that his legacy will live on in the series he was part of, and in the audience that loves them."
