The best Watcher that ever was, a menacing alien who squared off against a Time Lord, a sexist football team owner who wouldn’t like AFC Richmond’s new direction (but his ex would) and a dashing man who did more for instant coffee than anyone…
All of these were Anthony Stewart Head, who died today at the age of 72. The announcement came from his two daughters who told the BBC.
Head is best known as Rupert Giles, who was Buffy Summers’ Watcher in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He started out stuffy, and unable to understand his new charge. He soon developed into a classic Watcher, and learned the art of Slaying should evolve with the times.
However, he is much more than that. He had a prominent role in “School Reunion” on Doctor Who as an alien took over a public school.
He was also on the Apple TV show Ted Lasso as Rupert Manion, former owner of AFC Richmond. His ex-wife, the new owner hoped Ted would ruin the team because he knows nothing about soccer. That plan changed but Rupert still played a part in the show.
Most people remember him from very romantic commercials for Taster’s Choice in the US and Nescafe Gold Blend in England.
He recently appeared in a season two episode of Bridgerton.
This is the statement Emily and Daisy Head released to the press (from Variety):
“It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand 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.”
Hellmouth Con, coming to Torrance High School next week, is expected to pay tribute to Head and his years on Buffy.
I actually met him at a convention in Oakland in the summer of 2000. He was quite entertaining and even threw in a song in the show.
He will definitely be missed.
