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With Richard E Grant at a photocall for the stage production Otherwise Engaged in 2005 (Ian West\/PA)<\/p>\nAmerican actress Sarah Michelle Gellar has led the tributes to her Buffy The Vampire Slayer co-star Anthony Head after the death of the English actor aged 72.<\/p>\n
Head was best known as librarian Rupert Giles in the cult US supernatural TV series, starring Gellar in the the title role, which ran from 1997 to 2003.<\/p>\n
A statement from his daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy Head, to the Press Association on Friday revealed their father had \u201cpassed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia\u201d.<\/p>\n
The statement also said \u201chis legacy will live on, in the shows he was a part of, and in the audiences that love them\u201d as his daughters reflected on the impact of his decades-long career.<\/p>\n
Gellar, 49, shared a photo of herself with Head, his daughters and their Buffy co-star Seth Green on Instagram as she paid tribute.<\/p>\n
She also included images of her and Head throughout the years, including a memorable scene during which Buffy asks Giles whether life gets any easier.<\/p>\n
Gellar wrote: \u201c\u2018Tell Giles I figured it out and I\u2019m ok\u2019. Well, I don\u2019t have it figured out and I\u2019m not ok. But I know I\u2019m the lucky one because I knew you.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their dad with me, but with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the Buffy cast remembering Head, David Boreanaz, who played Angel, described his co-star as a \u201ckind and generous soul\u201d, while James Marsters \u2013 the punk-rock vampire Spike \u2013 said the death left a \u201chole in the world\u201d.<\/p>\n
Emma Caulfield, who played reformed demon Anya in Buffy, reflected on their 27 years of friendship as she hailed him as \u201ckind, wise and a guide in troubled times\u201d.<\/p>\n
Charisma Carpenter, who starred as queen bee Cordelia Chase, recounted meeting Head in the Buffy production office for the first time and being \u201ccompletely thrown off\u201d by how different he was to his stuffy librarian character.<\/p>\n
With Richard E Grant at a photocall for the stage production Otherwise Engaged in 2005 (Ian West\/PA)<\/p>\n
The American actress said: \u201cHe had an earring, Converse high-tops and a pair of loose-fitting, boldly striped pants. There wasn\u2019t a trace of Giles to be found, which was a testament to his gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Head also starred in football comedy Ted Lasso from 2020 as former Richmond FC owner Rupert Mannion, the ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham\u2019s character Rebecca Welton.<\/p>\n
Brett Goldstein, their co-star and a writer on the show, remembered him as \u201cinfinitely charming and kind and fun and a joy\u201d, adding: \u201cAnthony Head was a brilliant actor who played the worst person in the world, which was an incredible skill because he was the best person.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will be sorely missed. Love to his family.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Anthony Head also starred in football Ted Lasso (Steve Parsons\/PA)<\/p>\n
Other notable roles included the prime minister in Little Britain alongside actor Matt Lucas, who wrote on X that Head was \u201cunfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm\u201d.<\/p>\n
He played King Uther Pendragon in Merlin, the father of Prince Arthur, where he worked alongside award-winning screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies.<\/p>\n
Davies remembered Head as an \u201cabsolute delight\u201d, writing: \u201cHe spoke always about his daughters with such love and joy, what a wonderful dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cLove and sympathy to Emily, Daisy, family and friends, he\u2019ll be missed and remembered across the world. Good night, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Anthony Head and daughter Emily Head attending the National Television Awards in 2019 (Ian West\/PA)<\/p>\n
Known for his distinctive baritone voice, Head first rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s in the Nescafe Gold Blend television adverts alongside Sharon Maughan.<\/p>\n
The ads, which ran from 1987 to 1993, are one of the best-known examples of serialised advertising.<\/p>\n
He was also a singer, starring in the 1990 West End revival of The Rocky Horror Show as Dr Frank-N-Furter, and recorded music, including the album of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer musical episode.<\/p>\n
Head\u2019s role in Buffy made him famous in the United States, but he left the regular cast during the show\u2019s sixth season, only appearing as a guest star until the series concluded.<\/p>\n
He also acted in Motherland, Manchild, Silent Witness, Spooks, Doctor Who and My Family, and in July 2018 he joined the cast of BBC Radio 4 long-running drama The Archers.<\/p>\n
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Anthony Head and Sarah Fisher (Gareth Fuller\/PA)<\/p>\n
Head\u2019s long-time partner, animal welfare campaigner Sarah Fisher, died in December 2025 aged 61.<\/p>\n
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