Anthony Head, actor known for iconic commercials and TV roles, dies at 72
Anthony Head, a performer who achieved widespread recognition through memorable advertising campaigns and a significant role in a beloved supernatural series, has passed away at the age of 72. His death followed complications from pneumonia.
The Gold Blend Couple and Beyond
Head first captured the public’s attention as one half of the “Gold Blend couple” in a highly successful series of commercials that aired throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. This visibility paved the way for his prominent role in the US television phenomenon, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” From 1997 to 2003, he portrayed Rupert Giles, the “watcher” and mentor to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s titular character. As the prim English librarian at Sunnydale High, Giles was assigned to Buffy Summers by the clandestine Watchers’ Council of Britain, an organization tasked with overseeing slayers who combat evil forces.
Giles evolved into a father figure for Buffy and her close friends, Willow and Xander, forming the core of the group affectionately known as the Scooby Gang. Head expressed his fondness for the series’ “seriously funny, wry, sardonic humour,” describing it as “funky, cool, very hip and thrilling.” He understood the nuances of playing Buffy’s foil, noting in an interview with Radio Times, “He had to be very competent at his job, but totally at sea with anything social.” He humorously likened this persona to “that sort of stumbling, stuttering Hugh Grant thing with a bit of Prince Charles thrown in.” Even prior to his breakout role, Head recognized the universal appeal of his screen presence, telling the Daily Mirror in 1995 that “the secret of my success is all down to the twinkle in my eye.” He elaborated that this “playful side” translated across borders without conscious effort.
Early Career and Hollywood Aspirations
Before his television success, Head dedicated a decade to acting on television and performing in theatrical productions, including works by Shakespeare and Tom Stoppard, as well as stage musicals. His casting alongside Sharon Maughan in the Nescafé instant coffee ads from 1987 to 1993 marked a significant turning point. The commercials, presented in a soap opera style, projected sophistication and featured an enduring “will they, won’t they” romantic storyline. Over 12 installments, each concluding with a cliffhanger, a slow-burn romance developed, culminating in the couple driving off together.
From 1990 to 1997, Head, adopting an American accent, and Maughan reprised their roles for US audiences, where Nescafé’s manufacturer, Nestlé, marketed the brand as Taster’s Choice. Setting his sights on Hollywood, where he was known as Anthony Stewart Head to avoid confusion with another actor, he secured a role in the sci-fi drama “VR.5” (1995). He played Oliver Sampson, an enigmatic operative for a clandestine committee, assigning missions to Sydney Bloom, a character capable of entering a virtual-reality state. Despite the series being canceled by Fox before its full run, it was later broadcast entirely on the Sci-Fi Channel.
Further Television Successes
Head’s career continued to flourish on both sides of the Atlantic. He portrayed Britain’s prime minister, Michael, a character widely perceived to be based on Tony Blair during his premiership, in the popular BBC sketch show “Little Britain” (2003-2006). He was drawn to the show’s “off-the-wall” humor, which included a recurring gag involving the PM’s infatuated private secretary. More recently, he appeared in the first three seasons of the sports comedy “Ted Lasso” (2020-2023) as Rupert Mannion, a disreputable football club owner. In the series, Mannion loses his club to his wife in a divorce settlement, subsequently acquiring a new team and a new girlfriend. Head described the character as “particularly unpleasant” and a “complete narcissist,” but added that “you have to see their point of view” to make them believable.
Personal Life and Early Influences
Born in north London, Anthony Head was the son of actor Helen Shingler, known for her role in the 1960s BBC series “Maigret,” and Seafield Head, a documentary writer and producer. His elder brother, Murray, also pursued a career in acting, music, and musical theatre. As a child growing up in Hampton, Middlesex, Head participated in amateur theatrical productions. He recalled playing the Emperor in “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and the profound realization that “this is what I want to do for a living” as he experienced the audience’s attention.
After leaving grammar school, Head worked as a runner and assistant editor for his father before joining the youth theater group, the Young Stagers, at the Thorndike theatre. He then trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 1976. His early stage work included portraying Jesus in the musical “Godspell” and Randolph in David Hare’s “Teeth ‘n’ Smiles.” He also appeared in “Julius Caesar,” Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead,” and Peter Shaffer’s “Yonadab.” In musicals, he took over the lead role of Freddie Trumper in “Chess” from his brother and starred as Frank-N-Furter in the West End revival of “The Rocky Horror Show.” His single “Sweet Transvestite” charted briefly in 1991.
Head’s extensive television credits also include “Manchild” (2002-2003), “The Invisibles” (2008), “Merlin” (2008-2012) as King Uther Pendragon, “Free Agents” (2009-2012), and “Dominion” (2014-2015). He also portrayed Geoffrey Howe, the Conservative MP and deputy prime minister, alongside Meryl Streep’s Margaret Thatcher in the film “The Iron Lady” (2011).
Anthony Head’s partner of over 40 years, Sarah Fisher, passed away in December. He is survived by their daughters, Emily and Daisy, both actors, and his brother.
