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'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Ted Lasso' actor Anthony Head dies at 72
The British actor, beloved for playing Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso, died from complications related to pneumonia, his family confirmed
- PUBLISHED: Sun 7 Jun 2026, 11:11 AM
- By:
- ANI
British actor Anthony Head, best known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso, has died at the age of 72.
According to Variety, Head's daughters, Emily Head and Daisy Head, confirmed his death in a statement to the BBC, saying he "passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family."
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Head was widely recognised for portraying Rupert Giles throughout all seven seasons of the hit TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar.
More recently, he won over a new generation of viewers with his role as Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso. His character, the former owner of AFC Richmond, hands control of the football club to his ex-wife, played by Hannah Waddingham, during their divorce.
Beyond those roles, Head appeared as the Prime Minister in Little Britain and portrayed Uther Pendragon in the fantasy drama Merlin.
Although best known for his television work, Head began his career on stage. He appeared in productions of Godspell during the late 1970s and later performed in stage productions of Chess, Peter Pan and The Rocky Horror Show.
Before achieving international fame on screen, Head became a familiar face in the UK through a series of Nescafé television commercials that aired from 1987 to 1993.
Paying tribute to their father, Emily and Daisy Head said: "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."
They added: "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."