Ted Lasso alum Anthony Head died at the age of 72, his family announced on June 5, 2026. The late British actor was known for a variety of film and TV roles, and colleagues and fans are mourning his death. As more details about his passing come to light, many are wondering what happened to Anthony in his final days.
Some of Anthony’s former Buffy co-stars paid tribute to him in moving statements. Emma Caulfield, who played Anya Jenkins in the show, posted a photo to Instagram after the news of Anthony’s death broke.
“This was taken on the London Underground in 2011. I went to visit my friend Tony on the set of The Iron Lady,” Emma wrote in her caption. “We had lunch, hit up a record store, had dinner and drinks and laughed until our sides hurt. It was a perfect day. There were many of these moments with this amazing human who I was lucky enough to call my friend for 27 years. He was kind and wise and a guide in troubled times. You were so loved.”
James Marsters, who played Spike the vampire on the show, also posted a tribute to Instagram, which read, “There’s a hole in the World. Anthony Head has passed on from us. He was an unflaggingly kind and steady presence on the set of Buffy, and the best actor in the cast. He was the best of us. I was lucky to have known, and learned from him. He left the world a better place for his presence. Thank you Tony for all you gave.”
Here is what we know about Anthony’s cause of death.
Who Was Anthony Head?
Anthony was a British actor who most recently starred in Ted Lasso as the character Rupert Mannion, the ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham‘s character, Rebecca Welton.
One of his most notable on-screen roles was playing Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Anthony also starred in numerous films and TV shows, including The Iron Lady, Underdogs, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Let the Wrong One in, Little Britain, Docto Who Confidential, Merlin, The Canterville Ghost and Bridgerton.
How Did Anthony Head Die? His Cause of Death
Anthony’s daughters, Emily and Daisy, released a statement to BBC News, confirming that their father die “peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family.”
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father,” their statement read. “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.”
