06/05/2026
Anthony Stewart Head, the British actor best known to international audiences as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 72.
Headās daughters, Emily Head and Daisy Head, confirmed that he āpassed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family.ā
Head had a long and storied career on television and in film, but for many fans, though, heāll always be Giles, the Watcher, mentor, librarian, and emotional anchor at the heart of Buffy.
Head made his name in the late 1990s when he was cast as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers.
The show became a genuine cultural phenomenon as it successfully blended teen drama and comedy into a show full of mythology, lore, and genuine horror. The series has retained a huge fanbase, even decades later.
His career stretched far beyond Sunnydale. Head went on to appear in Little Britain, played King Uther Pendragon in the BBC fantasy series Merlin, and reached a new generation of viewers as former football club owner Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso. His other credits included The Iron Lady, Persuasion, The Inbetweeners, and Manchild.