ACTOR Anthony Head, best known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso, has died aged 72.
His death comes just six months after his long-term partner Sarah Fisher, the mum of his kids, passed away at the age of 61.
The actor rose to fame appearing in the Nescafe Gold Blend TV adverts, before securing the role of Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which ran from 1997 to 2003.
He left the show as a main character in the sixth season, but returned several times as a guest star until it ended.
Other notable roles include King Uther Pendragon in BBC’s Merlin, a role on sketch show Little Britain and playing former football club owner Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso.
The 72-year-old also appeared in The Iron Lady, Persuasion, The Inbetweeners and Motherland.
He sadly passed away after “complications due to pneumonia”.
It comes as…
- Anthony Head has died aged 72 after “complications due to pneumonia”
- He passed away six months after his long-term partner Sarah Fisher
- His daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy, gave a touching tribute
- The actor was pictured with his arm around daughter Emily at his last red carpet appearance
- Read the tribute from his daughters in full after star’s death
- The nine subtle symptoms of pneumonia you must never ignore after star’s death
His daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy Head, said in a tribute: “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.
“It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed first-hand 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.
“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.
“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.”
Emily played Carli D’Amato in E4‘s sitcom The Inbetweeners, and she later played Rebecca White in ITV soap opera Emmerdale and Colette Andrews in BBC drama The Syndicate.
Her sister Daisy also appeared in The Syndicate along with Netflix show Shadow and Bone.
Six months ago, the pair hailed their mum as an “extraordinary, kind and talented mother” and said her death was a shock to them.
They added: “It is immensely shocking to us all, and came with very little warning.
“No words could ever express all that she encompassed, or begin to describe the crater her absence has left.
“We know how profoundly she has impacted the lives of so many, and we couldn’t be more proud of the legacy she is leaving behind.
“We only wish she’d had more time to share her knowledge and brilliance with us, and the world.
“Our grief knows no bounds, nor did the reaches of her incredibly unique and irreplaceable spirit.”
Their mum was a dedicated animal rights activist and ran Tilley Farm, a sanctuary for rescued horses, ponies, and donkeys.
She was also patron of Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary in North Somerset for many years.
Showbusiness runs in the family, as Anthony’s brother Murray is also an actor and singer.
Their dad was the film producer Seafield Laurence Stewart Murray Head.
His mum was also an actress, Helen Shingler, who died in 2019.
