Anthony Head, 'Buffy' and 'Ted Lasso' star, dies at 72

'Buffy' and 'Ted Lasso' star Anthony Head dies at 72 after complications from pneumonia, daughters confirm

British actor Anthony Head, best known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso, has died at the age of 72 following complications from pneumonia.

His daughters, Emily Head and Daisy Head, confirmed the news in a statement to the BBC, saying he passed away peacefully surrounded by family.

Head became a household name for his portrayal of Rupert Giles, the Watcher and mentor to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy Summers, across all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His performance made him one of the most recognisable figures in the cult supernatural series.

A new generation of viewers also came to know him through Ted Lasso, where he played Rupert Mannion, the wealthy and often antagonistic former owner of AFC Richmond. The role introduced Head to a global streaming audience and further cemented his reputation for playing complex authority figures.

Beyond his most famous television roles, Head’s career spanned decades across stage and screen. He appeared as Uther Pendragon in the fantasy series Merlin, and also featured in the sketch comedy show Little Britain as the Prime Minister. Early in his career, he performed in theatre productions including Godspell, Chess, Peter Pan, and The Rocky Horror Show Live.

He also gained early recognition in the UK through a long-running series of Nescafé television commercials in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In their statement, his daughters described him as deeply passionate about his work and said he felt “incredibly lucky” to have spent his career working alongside talented actors and productions.

Fans and colleagues across television and theatre have begun paying tribute to the actor, remembering a career that left a lasting mark on British television and international audiences.