Into Every Generation…

Both sides of the Atlantic grieved a great loss to showbiz earlier this month, with the death of veteran actor Anthony Stewart Head. Over his near 50-year career, Head had such mass appeal that his performances held a special place in the heart of every generation.

Head initially found mainstream fame in the UK with a series of adverts for  Nescafé Gold Blend, as one half of the ‘Gold Blend Couple’. These serialized ads were something of a phenomenon in the late 80’s, early 90’s. The ads centred around flirtatious neighbours Tony (played by Head) and Sharon (Sharon Maughan). The ads played on the ‘will they, won’t they’ trope, and every instalment ended on a cliffhanger. Head’s performance was seen as sexy and charming with his trademark eye twinkle. This marketing campaign proved so popular that Gold Blend sales increased by over 50% in the UK. Versions of the ad were also produced for the American market, starring Maughan and Head with American accents.

This would not be the last time Head’s good looks and charm would be appreciated across the pond. In 1997 Head appeared for the first time in what would be (arguably) his defining role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Head played the stiff-upper-lipped, starch-collared, sarcastic but charming British Watcher: Rupert Giles, to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Slayer. The show itself was a gamble for everyone involved; financially, creatively, and pretty much every other way! How do you sell a serious show based on a movie that flopped, about a cheerleader that fights vampires whilst accompanied by a stuffy English librarian played by the guy from the coffee adverts? Head was still smarting from a cancelled show he was involved in and confided his fears of yet another cancellation to disgraced Buffy creator Joss Whedon, who assured Head that Buffy would eventually be a success. Luckily for everyone involved, Whedon was right!

Buffy went on to span seven seasons, with Head being a series regular in five of those and a season regular for the final two. Giles quickly became a fan favourite. Head himself was quoted as saying, “the secret to my success is all done to the twinkle in my eye” (Daily Mirror, 1995), describing said twinkle as just his “playful side”. And Head certainly showed his humorous and playful side throughout his run of the series. Dry and sarcastic in ways only a Brit can be, Head often provided the show with much-needed levity during its darker moments.

During the show, Head was also able to showcase his musical talents on more than one occasion. The son of a filmmaker and an actress, Head spent his youth treading the boards of musical theatre. He even played Frank N. Furter in the 1990-91 West End revival of The Rocky Horror Show at London’s Piccadilly Theatre. Head’s version of ‘Sweet Transvestite’ was even released as a single!

Many Buffy fans will fondly remember Giles’s acoustic rendition of ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ in Season 4 Episode 18 ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. Head’s crooning abilities were also showcased in the much-lauded Buffy musical episode, Season 6 Episode 7 ‘Once More with Feeling’. Head has the (perhaps dubious) honour of being the Buffy main cast member who broke into song the most throughout the series. These musical skills led to Head producing two studio albums in 2002 and 2014.

The character of Giles was so popular that there were plans in 2001 for him to have his own spin-off called ‘Ripper’. The series would follow Giles’s life in London where he would be thrown into different ghost stories each episode. Like so many other spin-offs, ‘Ripper’, unfortunately, never survived preproduction despite both Head and the Buffy writers being extremely enthusiastic about the proposed show.

Back on home soil Anthony Head has been a staple in British TV for over thirty years. Head had recurring roles in British sketch show Little Britain (2003 – 2006) playing the fictional Prime Minister no less! Another regular role in the supernatural drama Merlin (2008 – 2011), the acclaimed British comedy Motherland (2016 – 2022), and a small but impactful role in Feel Good (2020-2021).

In recent years, Anthony Head had a recurring role in the popular Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso (2020- ) where he was eventually promoted to the main cast. Head’s career has been extremely varied. He became a comfortingly familiar face in both UK and US media. A stereotypically charming and smooth-talking Englishman, Head met every role with infectious enthusiasm and empathy towards his fellow actors. One does not maintain such an illustrious career without having something special. The world is certainly a little dimmer without Anthony Stewart Head’s patented eye twinkle.