RIP

Anthony Head, iconic TV actor from ‘Buffy’ to ‘Ted Lasso,’ has died

His daughters confirmed the actor passed away peacefully after complications from pneumonia.

Update: Jun 5th, 2026 18:18 CEST

British actor Anthony Head has died at the age of 72. The news was confirmed by his daughters, Emily and Daisy Head, in a statement shared with the BBC, in which they explained that “he passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family.”

“It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many,” Emily and Daisy wrote in their statement. “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.”

A defining presence on television

For a large part of the global audience, Anthony Head will be inseparably linked to his role as Rupert Giles in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' As the Watcher and mentor to Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Head became one of the emotional pillars of the series across all seven seasons. Decades later, Head reached a new generation of viewers with his role in Apple TV+’s 'Ted Lasso,' where he played Rupert Mannion, the manipulative former owner of AFC Richmond.

Beyond these two defining roles, Head maintained a diverse body of work. He portrayed King Uther Pendragon in the fantasy series ‘Merlin,’ appeared in the British sketch show ‘Little Britain,’ and built a strong reputation on the stage beginning in the late 1970s. His theatrical credits include productions such as ‘Godspell,’ ‘Chess,’ ‘Peter Pan,’ and ‘The Rocky Horror Show Live.’