Anthony Stewart Head (1954–2026) was an English film, television, voice, stage and radio actor. He was best known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), the Prime Minister in Little Britain (2003–2006), Uther Pendragon in Merlin (2008–2012), and Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso (2020–2023).
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1981 Lady Chatterley's Lover Anton 1987 Rupert 1988 La Collina del diavolo Michael Toyle 1992 Woof Again! Why Me? B. J. Bentley Direct-to-video release 2001 [Junfans Attic(film)|Junfans Attic| James
| 2003 | I'll Be There| Sam Gervasi
| 2004 | Fat Slags| Victor
| rowspan="2" | 2005 | Framing Frankie| Dennis Folley
| Imagine Me & You| Ned
| rowspan="2" | 2006 | Scoop| Detective
| Little Britain Live| Prime Minister | Direct-to-video release |- | rowspan="4" | 2007 | Sparkle| Tony
| The Magic Door| George | Direct-to-video release |- | Amelia and Michael| Michael | Short |- | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street| Gentleman in Street | Uncredited roleCameo appearance |- | 2008 | Repo! The Genetic Opera| Nathan Wallace/Repo Man
| rowspan="4" | 2011 | The Great Ghost Rescue| Prime Minister
| | Will's Father
| Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance| Benedict
| | Geoffrey Howe
| rowspan="3" | 2013 | Underdogs| Adult Flash | Voice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. |- | Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters| Chiron
| Convenience| Barry
| 2014 | Flying Home| Mr. Montgomery
| rowspan="2" | 2016 | Despite the Falling Snow| Old Misha
| A Street Cat Named Bob| Jack Bowen
| 2018 | Batman: Gotham by Gaslight| Alfred Pennyworth | Voice, direct-to-video |- | rowspan="2" | 2021 | School's Out Forever| Headmaster
| Let the Wrong One In| Henry
| 2024 | Upgraded'' Julian Marx Final role
Television Year Title Role Notes 1978 Enemy at the Door Clive Martel 2 episodes Lillie William Le Breton ITV miniseries Accident Simon Lovell Episode: "The Figures Man" 1979 Jackanory Playhouse Spare Episode: "The Christmas Cuckoo" Weir 2 episodes Secret Army Hanslick Episode: "A Safe Place" 1980 Love in a Cold Climate Tony Kroesig 3 episodes 1981 Crown Court Timothy Preston-Berry Episode: "Hen Party" Bergerac Bill Episode: "See You in Moscow" BBC2 Playhouse Chief Hook Episode: "The Grudge Fight" 1984, 1988 RickiRecording Studio Engineer 2 episodes 1985 C.A.T.S. Eyes James Sinden Episode: "Goodbye, Jenny Wren" Howards' Way Phil Norton 5 episodes 1987 Boon Richard Rathbone Episode: "Day of the Yoke" 1988 Pulaski Dudley Fielding Episode: "The Price of Fame" Rockliffe's Babies Chris Patterson Episode: "A Trip to the Zoo" 1989 Hard Cases DC 'Spider' WebbSeason 2, episode 6 1991 Woof! Bentley 2 episodes 1993 Simon Episode: "Acting Constables" Highlander: The Series Allan Rothwood Episode: "Nowhere to Run" 1994 Royce Pitlock Showtime television film 1995 VR.5 Oliver Sampson 10 episodes The Ghostbusters of East Finchley Terry 2 episodes NYPD Blue Nigel Gibson Episode: "Cold Heaters" 1996 Roger Roger Jimmy Price Television film 1997 Jonathan Creek Adam Klaus Episode: "The Wrestler's Tomb" 1997–2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Rupert Giles 121 episodesMain role (seasons 1–5); recurring role (seasons 6–7) 1999 Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place Dr Staretski Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl and a Mother's Day" 2000 Best Actress Colin Truemans E! television film 2001 Silent Witness Henry Hutton Episode: "Two Below Zero" 2002 Spooks Peter Salter Episode: "Traitor's Gate" Fillmore! Professor Third Voice, 2 episodes 2002–2003 Manchild James 15 episodes 2003 And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself William Benton HBO television film Reversals Andrew Barton ITV television film 2003, 2005 My Family Richard Harper / Himself 2 episodes 2003–2006 Little Britain Michael Stevens 23 episodes 2004 True Horror with Anthony Head Presenter 5 episodes New Tricks Sir Tim Episode: "Painting on Loan" Monarch of the Glen Chester Grant 4 episodes 2005 Murder Investigation Team Stewart Masters Season 2, episode 2 Rose and Maloney David Terry Episode: "Annie Johnson" 2006 Hotel Babylon Mr. Machin Season 1, episode 2 Doctor Who Mr. Finch Episode: "School Reunion" Children's Party at the Palace Captain Hook BBC television special Him and Us Max Flash Unsold television pilot 2007 Comic Relief 2007: The Big One Various Television special Persuasion Sir Walter Elliot Television film Totally Doctor Who Baltazar Voice role in The Infinite Quest Sensitive Skin Tom Paine 2 episodes Sold Mr. Colubrine 6 episodes 2007–2008 Heroes Unmasked Narrator Series 1 & 2 2007–2009 Doctor Who Confidential Narrator 30 episodes 2008 Freezing Lindsay Posner Season 1, episode 2 Maurice Riley BBC One series 2008–2012 Merlin Uther Pendragon 43 episodes 2009 Free Agents Stephen Caudwell Channel 4 TV series 2011–2012 Free Agents Stephen Caudwell NBC TV series (US remake of the Channel 4 series of the same name) 2013 Dancing on the Edge Donaldson BBC Two series NTSF:SD:SUV:: Corningham Episode: "U-KO'ed" 2013–2014 Warehouse 13 Paracelsus 4 episodes 2013–2015 You, Me & Them Ed Walker UKTV Gold series 2014–2015 Dominion David Whele Main cast 2015 Galavant Galavant's Father Episode: "My Cousin Izzy" 2015–2016 Yonderland Nigel Maddox 3 episodes 2016 Drunk History Admiral Horatio Nelson, Alexander Graham Bell 2 episodes Guilt James Lahue 5 episodes 2017 Still Star-Crossed Lord Silvestro Capulet Series regular Shadowhunters Angel Raziel Voice, episode: "Beside Still Water" 2018 Girlfriends John 5 episodes The Split Oscar Defoe 6 episodes Vanity Fair Lord Steyne 3 episodes 2019 Jack Ryan Rupert Thorne 2 episodes 2019–2022 Motherland Bill 4 episodes 2020 The Stranger Ed Price 8 episodes The Big Night In Michael Stevens TV special Robot Chicken Rupert Giles / Albus Dumbledore Voice, episode: "Endgame" 2020–2023 Ted Lasso Rupert Mannion Recurring role (season 1); guest (season 2); regular (season 3) 2021 Back Charismatic Mike Season 2, episode 2 Feel Good George Senior 2 episodes Adventure Time: Distant Lands Wizard Con Voice, episode: "Wizard City" The Canterville Ghost Sir Simon de Canterville 4 episodes 2022 Bridgerton Lord Sheffield Episode: "An Unthinkable Fate"
Audio Year Title Role Notes 2007–2012 Bleak Expectations Gently Benevolent & Jeremy Sourquill BBC Radio 2010 Ghost Stories by Walter de la Mare The Reader Episode 4 of 5: "A Recluse" 2011–2014 Cabin Pressure Herc Shipwright 7 episodes, BBC Radio 2012 Clayton Grange Saunders BBC Radio 2013 Neverwhere Mr. CroupBBC Radio 2016 Robin of Sherwood: The Knights Of The Apocalypse Guichard de Montbalm 2018 The Archers Robin FairbrotherBBC Radio 2023 Slayers: A Buffyverse Story Rupert Giles Audible original
Stage Year Title RoleDirectorVenue NotesRef.1977Henry VDuke of ClarenceFred ProudLudlow Castle1980Julius CaesarArtemidorusPeter GillRiverside StudiosFear of the DarkRobert SladeWalter DonohueRoyal Court TheatrePress night1981GodspellLight of the WorldStuart MungallYoung Vic1982The Prince of HomburgCaptain GolzJohn BurgessRoyal National Theatre1982–1984Danton's DeathSans-culottes / Young Gentleman / La FlottePeter Gill1983A Patriot for MeLt Stefan Kovacs / Kupfer's Second / DeputyRonald EyreChichester Festival TheatreTheatre Royal Haymarket 1985–1986 Yonadab AbsalomPeter HallRoyal National Theatre1988–1989 Chess Freddie TrumperTrevor NunnPrince Edward TheatreWorld premiere1989–1990Lady Windermere's FanLord DarlingtonAnthony WardBristol Old Vic 1990–1991 The Rocky Horror Show Dr. Frank-N-FurterRobin LefevrePiccadilly Theatre1992The HeiressMorris TownsendJohn DavidTour 1992–1993 Rope Rupert CadellKeith BaxterMinerva Theatre, Chichester1994Tour 2003–2004 Peter Pan Captain HookSteven DexterSavoy Theatre 2004 The Pirates of Penzance The Pirate King 2005–2006 Otherwise Engaged Jeff GoldingSimon Curtis Tour2006The Rocky Horror Tribute ShowDr. Frank-N-FurterRoyal Court TheatreCharity show 2010 Six Degrees of SeparationFlan KittredgeDavid GrindleyThe Old Vic2015Rocky Horror Show LiveFourth NarratorChristopher LuscombePlayhouse Theatre Ticking Edward (Simon's father)Paul Andrew WilliamsTrafalgar StudiosWorld premiere 2017 Love In Idleness Sir John FletcherTrevor NunnMenier Chocolate Factory 2018 The Muppets Take the O2 HimselfAndrew WilliamsThe O2 Arena
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2002Buffy the Vampire SlayerRupert Giles2003Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds 2006Destroy All Humans! 2Reginald Ponsonby-Smythe
References
External links