Anthony Head: Actor who starred in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso and Little Britain dies

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

In a statement, his daughters said he "passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family".

The star was best known as librarian Rupert Giles in the cult US supernatural TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, which ran from 1997 to 2003.

Known for his distinctive baritone voice, Head first rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s in the Nescafe Gold Blend television adverts.

The ads, which ran from 1987 to 1993, saw Head play one half of the on-screen "Gold Blend couple," alongside Sharon Maughan, who struck up a slow-burning romance over a cup of coffee.

More recently, Head appeared in football comedy Ted Lasso, where he played former Richmond FC owner Rupert Mannion.

Other notable roles include playing the prime minister in Little Britain and Uther Pendragon in the TV show Merlin, the father of Prince Arthur.

Head's daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy Head, said in their statement that: "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."

Over the years, the star also appeared in Motherland, Manchild, Silent Witness, Spooks, Doctor Who and My Family.

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In July 2018, he joined the cast of the BBC Radio 4 long-running drama The Archers, playing Robin Fairbrother.

Head was also a singer, having appeared in the West End and recorded music, including the album for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode.

His long-time partner, animal welfare campaigner Sarah Fisher, died in December 2025 aged 61.

His Ted Lasso co-star and a writer on the show, actor Brett Goldstein, has remembered Head as "infinitely charming and kind and fun and a joy" in a tribute shared to Instagram.

He wrote: "Anthony Head was a brilliant actor who played the worst person in the world, which was an incredible skill because he was the best person.

"He will be sorely missed. Love to his family."

Award-winning screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies remembered Head as an "absolute delight" and in a lengthy tribute he recalled their time working together on shows including Doctor Who and Merlin.

His Buffy co-star David Boreanaz described him as a "kind and generous soul" while actor Matt Lucas, who starred alongside him in Little Britain, wrote on X that Head was "unfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm".

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