On Friday, his family announced the death of English actor Anthony Stewart Head, who played the Watcher and school librarian Rupert Giles in the series. «Buffy the Vampire Slayer» . He was 72 years old.
Head's daughters, Emily and Daisy, told the Press Association that their "extraordinary father" "died peacefully from complications of pneumonia, surrounded by his family.".
«"It was, and always will be, an honor and a privilege to be his daughters and to witness firsthand the impact he and his work had on so many people," they said in a statement published in the Independent newspaper. "We know how deeply he will be missed by his friends, colleagues, and fans of the shows he starred in—he loved his work and always considered himself incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to work alongside such exceptional talent on such wonderful productions over several decades.".
Head's death came two months after his longtime partner, animal rights activist Sarah Fisher, died suddenly at age 61. At the time, Emily and Daisy called the death "utterly shocking.".
Anthony Head in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." (20th Century Fox Film Corp/Everett Collection)
Head began his career in the theatre, appearing on the West End in the 1990s as the "lovable transvestite" Frank N. Furter in a revival of production of "The Rocky Horror Show"« at London's Piccadilly Theatre. In 1997, he joined the cast of the series «Buffy the Vampire Slayer» on The WB as a mentor to Buffy Summers, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, and remained a series regular until the sixth season.
In 2020, Head joined the cast of the series. «Ted Lasso »" on Apple TV+ as former football team owner Rupert Mannion. He became a series regular in the third season.
Head also starred in the 2008 horror opera «Repo! The Genetic Opera» starring Alexa Vega and Paris Hilton. The film returned to theaters for one day in May.