Anthony Head, the stage and screen actor who found fame as the Gold Blend coffee man and later as Rupert Giles in the US television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 72 from complications of pneumonia.
Early Life and Career
Born in north London to actor Helen Shingler and documentary filmmaker Seafield Head, Anthony Stewart Head grew up in Hampton, Middlesex. His elder brother Murray also became an actor and pop singer. Head's passion for performing was sparked as a child when he played the Emperor in The Emperor's New Clothes in a barn production. After leaving Sunbury grammar school, he worked for his father as a runner and assistant editor before training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 1976.
His early stage roles included Jesus in Godspell (1978), Randolph in Teeth 'n' Smiles (1979), Artemidorus in Julius Caesar (1980), the Player in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1981), and Absalom in Yonadab (1985-86). He also took over the lead in Chess from his brother and starred as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show revival, releasing a single Sweet Transvestite in 1991.
Gold Blend Fame
Head spent a decade as a jobbing actor before being cast alongside Sharon Maughan in the Nescafe Gold Blend coffee commercials from 1987 to 1993. The soap opera-style ads, featuring a 'will they, won't they' storyline, captivated the British public. From 1990 to 1997, Head and Maughan also starred in US versions under the Taster's Choice brand, where Head used an American accent.
Speaking about his success, Head told the Daily Mirror in 1995: 'The secret of my success is all down to the twinkle in my eye. That translates in any country. I don't do it on purpose – it's just my playful side.'
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Head's most iconic role came as Rupert Giles, the prim English librarian and 'watcher' in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). As Buffy's mentor and father figure, he became a core member of the Scooby Gang alongside Willow and Xander. Head was drawn to the show's 'seriously funny, wry, sardonic humour' and described Giles as 'very competent at his job, but totally at sea with anything social', likening him to Hugh Grant with a dash of Prince Charles.
Later Television and Film
Head played the British prime minister in the cult BBC sketch show Little Britain (2003-06) and more recently appeared as the slimy football club owner Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso (2020-23). His other TV roles included Manchild, The Invisibles, Merlin (as King Uther Pendragon), Free Agents, and Dominion. He also played Geoffrey Howe opposite Meryl Streep in the film The Iron Lady (2011).
Head's partner of more than 40 years, Sarah Fisher, died in December. He is survived by their daughters Emily and Daisy, both actors, and his brother Murray.
