Anthony Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso actor, dies aged 72 | Television | The Guardian

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Anthony Head and Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Allstar

View image in fullscreen<br>Anthony Head and Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Allstar

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Anthony Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso actor, dies aged 72

British actor starred on the West End before finding international fame in the 90s on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Owen Myers<br>Fri 5 Jun 2026 17.59 CESTLast modified on Fri 5 Jun 2026 18.29 CEST

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Anthony Head, the actor best-known for playing Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died aged 72.<br>“He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family,” his daughters Emily and Daisy Head said in a statement.

“It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed first-hand the impact both he and his work have had on so many.”<br>Born in Camden, London, Head began his career on the stage with roles in Henry V, Lady Windermere’s Fan and a starring role as Dr Frank-N-Furter in the 1990 West End production of The Rocky Horror Show.<br>He came to global fame for his role as Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, playing the mentor to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character. He also had a recurring role in Little Britain, appeared in the BBC production of Merlin as well as film roles in The Iron Lady and The Inbetweeners Movie. More recently, he played former football club owner Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso.<br>“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,” said his daughters.<br>“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.<br>“How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us.”<br>More details soon …

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