Anthony Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso Actor, Dies at 72, 6 Months After Partner’s Death
The actor’s longtime partner, Sarah Fisher, died suddenly in December at 61
NEED TO KNOW
- Anthony Head has died at 72
- The actor, best known for playing Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, died “peacefully,” his daughters said in a statement, after he was diagnosed with pneumonia
- Head’s death comes just six months after his longtime partner, Sarah Fisher, died
Anthony Head has died at age 72.
The actor’s daughters, Emily and Daisy Head, confirmed the news to the Press Association, per BBC and The Independent. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father, Anthony Head. He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family,” the statement said.
Head was best known for playing Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Watcher and a father figure for Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar).
His death comes just months after his longtime partner, Sarah Fisher, died suddenly in December at 61. Her daughters announced her death in a post on Facebook, writing, “It is immensely shocking to us all, and came with very little warning.”
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Head’s daughters’ statement said it will “forever be an honor and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many.”
“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.”
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“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,” the statement continued. “How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us. We kindly ask that our privacy is respected at this difficult time.”
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Head’s most recent role was in 2024’s Upgraded, and prior to that, he played Rupert Mannion, the ex-husband of Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) and former owner of AFC Richmond, in the first three seasons of Ted Lasso.
Merlin, Little Britain, Dominion and The Stranger were among Head’s other major roles throughout his nearly 50 years in the business.
