Anthony Head, British star of 'Ted Lasso,' 'Merlin' and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' dies at 72

Anthony Head, the British tv histrion who had roles successful “Ted Lasso,” “Merlin” and astir notably arsenic begetter fig Rupert Giles successful “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has died, his household announced Friday.

Head’s daughters Emily and Daisy Head confirmed his decease to the Associated Press and said helium died of complications from pneumonia. He was 72.

“Our grief is acold greater than the spread helium has near behind, but we cognize his bequest volition unrecorded on, successful the shows helium was a portion of, and successful the audiences that emotion them,” Head’s daughters said successful a connection to AP. “How fortunate we are to cognize we are capable to ticker him doing what helium loved, adjacent erstwhile helium is nary longer with us.”

Head, a seasoned of respective BBC bid including “Doctor Who,” became astir acquainted to American audiences successful the precocious 1990s, playing Rupert Giles — a high-school-librarian-turned-magic-shop-owner and mentor to Sarah Michelle Gellar‘s titular quality successful “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” He starred successful a bulk of episodes — 121 installments, according to IMDb — during the series’ tally from 1997 to 2003. Head’s decease follows those of chap “Buffy” formed members Michelle Trachtenberg successful February 2025 and Nicholas Brendon successful March.

In summation to being Buffy’s advisor, Giles would spell connected to go a surrogate begetter fig to the slayer and her crew. In “Buffy” terms, Giles was a Watcher, a subordinate of a assembly devoted to tracking and studying supernatural entities to support evil forces astatine bay. Despite his stuffy demeanor and penchant for tweed, Giles was compassionate and had a rebellious streak, peculiarly successful his youth. He would defy the rules acceptable retired for him by his occupation successful bid to prevention Buffy erstwhile helium could.

Head’s portrayal of Giles near capable of an content connected audiences and bid creator Joss Whedon that determination was speech successful 2001 of a Giles-centric spinoff. The bid was planned to aerial connected the BBC and was acceptable to halfway connected Giles and his sleuthing endeavors distant from the main “Buffy” band. In the pursuing years the imaginable miniseries evolved successful to a one-off film, but Head yet confirmed successful 2008 that the spinoff would not beryllium moving forward. Whedon was “busy with different project, I’m tied up too, truthful astatine the infinitesimal I’d conscionable accidental that it’s inactive retired there,” Head told the BBC astatine the time.

After “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” aired its last occurrence successful 2003, Head continued his tv enactment successful British bid including sketch bid “Little Britain,” “The Invisibles” and “Free Agents.” His adjacent salient relation would beryllium successful the phantasy bid “Merlin” arsenic Uther Pendragon, the King of Camelot and the begetter of would-be-king Arthur and sorceress Morgana Pendragon. The phantasy bid premiered successful 2008 and concluded successful 2012.

In the pursuing years helium appeared successful bid “You, Me & Them,” “Dominion” and “Guilt,” among others. Head successful caller years appeared successful deed bid “Bridgerton” and “Ted Lasso.” In the latter, co-created by Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly, Head portrayed different Rupert — this clip Rupert Mannion, a womanizing billionaire and ex-husband of shot squad proprietor Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham).

Head, calved Feb. 20, 1954, successful London, was the lad to documentary filmmaker Seafield Head and histrion Helen Shingler. His older brother, Murray, is besides an histrion and singer.

Before Head became known for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the histrion gained a estimation among British audiences successful the 1980s erstwhile helium starred successful a bid of romanticist ads for Nescafe Gold Blend instant coffee. The ads were aboriginal reshot for a U.S. assemblage for Taster’s Choice.

Head began his acting vocation successful philharmonic theatre and has impermanent starred successful bid including “NYPD Blue” and “Highlander.” He appeared successful a fig of films, including successful the Oscar-winning “The Iron Lady,” starring Meryl Streep arsenic Margaret Thatcher.

Head is preceded successful decease by his partner, carnal payment activistic Sarah Fisher. She died successful 2025 astatine property 61.

Times unit writer Tracy Brown and the Associated Press contributed to this report.