Annabel RackhamAnd
Ian Youngs,Cultural reporters
British actor Anthony Head, best known for his roles in television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso, Merlin and Little Britain, has died aged 72.
Head gained international fame playing Rupert Giles in the hit supernatural teen series Buffy in the late 1990s.
“He passed away peacefully from complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family,” said his daughters Emily and Daisy.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played the eponymous Buffy, paid tribute to Head, writing: “Thank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their father with me, but with the world.”
His daughters’ statement said that “it is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our extraordinary father.”
“It has been, and forever will be, an honor and privilege to be his daughters and to have witnessed the impact he and his work had on so many.”
They also said they knew “how much he will be greatly missed by his friends, colleagues and fans of the show he was on”, adding that he “loved his work very much” and “always considered himself incredibly lucky”.
His family acknowledged that “his legacy will live on” and said they considered themselves “lucky” to have seen him do what he loved throughout his career.
Gellar posted a selection of photos of herself with Head on Instagram, including a scene from Buffy where her character asks Giles if life is getting easier.
“‘Tell Giles I got it and I’m okay. Well, I didn’t get it and I’m not okay. But I know I’m lucky because I knew you,” she wrote.
“Thank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their father with me, but with the world.”
David Boreanaz, who also starred alongside Head in Buffy, said: “RIP. He had such a kind and generous soul.”
James Marsters, co-star of Buffy, said: “He was a constant and kind presence on the set of Buffy, and the best actor in the cast… I was lucky to have known him and learned from him.”
After Buffy, Head had a recurring role on the sketch show Little Britain as Prime Minister and King Uther Pendragon in the BBC’s Merlin.
Matt Lucas, creator and star of Little Britain – in which Head played the Prime Minister – described Head as “unfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm”.
“When we cast Little Britain we were looking for a ‘Tony Head guy’ because we never imagined the man himself would be interested, but he was. Lucky for us,” Lucas said.
Head’s other credits included playing Geoffrey Howe in The Iron Lady and appearing in Doctor Who, Persuasion, The Inbetweeners and Manchild.
He also starred in Ted Lasso from 2020 as former Richmond FC owner Rupert Mannion, the ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham’s character Rebecca Welton.
Brett Goldstein, their co-star and writer on the show, said: “Anthony Head was a brilliant actor playing the worst person in the world, which was an incredible talent because he was the best person.”
Head rose to fame in the United Kingdom in the 1980s as the face of television adverts for Nescafé coffee.
He was part of the Gold Blend couple alongside Sharon Maughan, whose romantic coffee-themed advertisements became popular between 1987 and 1993.
Maughan told BBC News she was “heartbroken” by the loss of Head.
“I guess they were iconic, I don’t think that was the intention at first,” she said. “Tony and I were just two actors who got this job, and we had a great friendship…
“I loved working with him. I thought he was a lovely man.”
Head has starred in many popular British shows during his career, including Motherland, Silent Witness and Doctor Who.
The official Doctor Who X account said it was “very sad to announce the passing of Anthony Head, who appeared as Mr Finch in 2006’s ‘School Reunion'”.
“He was also known to fans for his commentary in #DoctorWho Confidential and the voice of Baltazar in ‘The Infinite Quest’.”
And author Harlan Coben wrote on Instagram: “You will read many wonderful things about him in the coming days. Believe them.
“He was charming and erudite and funny and open and friendly and so talented. He brought joy and warmth and sparkle and wonder to every room he entered.
“The entire cast and crew of The Stranger loved Tony. It was an honor to call you a friend. We are all heartbroken.”
His latest acting credits included Bridgerton in 2022, in which he starred in an episode of the second series.
He joined the cast of BBC Radio 4’s long-running drama The Archers in 2018, playing Robin Fairbrother.
The actor also enjoyed a long career on stage, performing in several iterations of The Rocky Horror Show and musicals such as Godspell and Chess.
Born in Camden, London, in 1954, Head’s mother was the actress Helen Shingler, best known for the BBC television series Maigret, and her father Seafield Head, a documentary filmmaker.
He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
Head lost his long-term partner Sarah Fisher, an animal welfare campaigner, in December 2025, aged 61.
Her daughters Emily, 37, and Daisy, 35, both work as actresses – Emily best known for playing Carli D’Amato in The Inbetweeners.
Daisy has appeared in TV shows such as Harlots and Shadow and Bone.
His brother Murray is also an actor, who appeared in the 1971 Academy Award-nominated film Sunday Bloody Sunday and the musical Chess.