Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso Actor Anthony Head Dies At 72

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the past year and a half, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom has lost actress Michelle Trachtenberg, actor Nicholas Brendon and now Anthony Head. The actor's family shared that the 72-year-old actor "passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia." He was surrounded by his daughters, Emily and Daisy Head, during his last moments. The British actor played Rupert Giles, the Watcher to the title character, Buffy Summers, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, on the cult vampire series. Later, he was part of the hit shows Merlin and Ted Lasso.

Anthony Head dies at 72

Head's family released an official statement to the BBC in which they shared that it was an honour and a privilege to see the impact both he and his work had around the world. Emily and Daisy said, "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."

The veteran actor hadn't been very active in the last few years. His last film role was the Amazon Prime Video rom-com Upgraded starring Camila Mendes, while his final TV credits were Netflix's Bridgerton Season 2 back in 2022 and the third season of Ted Lasso. Head played Lord Sheffield on Bridgerton, while on Apple TV's Ted Lasso, he played the ex-husband, Rupert Mannion, of Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and the former owner of AFC Richmond.

Anthony Head's early career and breakout roles

In his home country, Head became popular after starring in a series of Nescafé ads from 1987 to 1993 with Sharon Maughan. His career began on the stage; he was also an accomplished singer. He starred in the musical Godspell in the 1970s as well as other productions such as Chess, Peter Pan and Rocky Horror Show Live. His other film and TV credits include Little Britain, The Iron Lady, Doctor Who, Motherland, Persuasion, The Inbetweeners and Manchild.

Personal life and family

Head's partner, Sarah Fisher, died in December 2025, at age 61. Fisher was an animal welfare campaigner. The actor's daughters Emily, 37 and Daisy, 35, are both actresses. Emily was also on The Inbetweeners with her father, while Daisy is known for the Netflix series Shadow and Bone. Head's brother Murray is an actor as well; he too acted in the musical Chess and the film Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971).