The actor’s family confirmed that he died peacefully at 72 due to pneumonia-related complications.
London: Actor Anthony Head, best known for his roles in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso, has died at the age of 72, his family announced on Friday.
The British actor, brother of Murray Head, was widely recognised for portraying Rupert Giles, the librarian and mentor in the cult US supernatural drama starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, which aired from 1997 to 2003.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father, Anthony Head,” his daughters, Emily Head and Daisy Head, said in a statement released through the PA news agency.
“They added: ‘He passed away peacefully following complications from pneumonia, surrounded by his family. It has been, and always will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters and to witness firsthand the impact he and his work had on so many people.’”
Head first gained widespread recognition in the UK during the 1980s through a popular series of television advertisements for coffee, which helped establish him as a familiar face with audiences nationwide.
In the advertisements, which aired from 1987 to 1993, Head and actress Sharon Maughan portrayed a couple whose romance blossomed over a shared cup of coffee.
More recently, he appeared as Rupert Mannion, the former owner of Richmond FC and ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham’s character Rebecca, in the football comedy series Ted Lasso.
Head was also an accomplished singer, recognised for his distinctive baritone voice.
His long-time partner, Sarah Fisher, who ran a sanctuary for rescued horses, died in December at the age of 61.
