British actor Anthony Head has died due to complications from pneumonia. Popular for his roles in TV shows, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso, Merlin and Little Britain, the late actor breathed his last at the age of 72 surrounded by his loved ones.
In a statement, his daughters, Emily and Daisy Head, said, “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father.”
“He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family,” they added.
Paying tribute to their father, the sisters said it had been and forever would be “an honour and a privilege” to be his daughters and to witness the impact first hand he and his work had on audiences around the world.
“We know how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues and fans of the shows he was in,” they said. His family further acknowledged that “his legacy will live on” and said they considered themselves “lucky” to have watched him doing what he loved throughout his career.
Anthony Head’s Family
Head’s death comes months after the passing of his long-term partner, animal welfare campaigner Sarah Fisher, who died in December 2025 aged 61.
He is survived by his daughters Emily and Daisy, both actors, and his brother Murray Head, also an actor and singer.
Anthony Head’s Acting Journey
Head enjoyed a career spanning more than four decades across television, film, radio and theatre. He found early fame in the UK in the 1980s as the face of Nescafe’s popular Gold Blend coffee advertisements.
Anthony was part of the Gold Blend couple alongside Sharon Maughan, with their coffee-themed romance ads becoming popular between 1987 and 1993.
His breakthrough international role came in the late 1990s as Rupert Giles, the mentor and Watcher to Buffy Summers in the hit supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
He later appeared in a number of acclaimed television productions, including Little Britain, where he played the prime minister, BBC fantasy series Merlin as King Uther Pendragon, and Ted Lasso as former football club owner Rupert Mannion.
Head’s extensive screen credits also included Doctor Who, Motherland, Silent Witness, The Inbetweeners, Manchild, Persuasion and The Iron Lady, in which he portrayed former British politician Geoffrey Howe.
Beyond television and film, Head maintained a successful stage career. He has appeared in productions of The Rocky Horror Show and musicals such as Godspell and Chess. He also joined the cast of BBC Radio 4’s long-running drama The Archers in 2018, playing Robin Fairbrother.
His final television appearances included a guest role in Bridgerton in 2022. He starred in one episode in series two.
