Sopan Deb, writing for The New York Times (gift link):

Anthony Head, the British actor who rose from the smooth 1980s pitchman for Nescafe Gold Blend instant coffee to become a mainstay performer on influential television shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Ted Lasso,” has died. He was 72.

The cause was “complications due to pneumonia,” his daughters, the actresses Emily Head and Daisy Head, said in a statement released to the BBC on Friday.

I absolutely adored Head’s Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was nerdy, dangerous, and caring, all at once. I remember my utter delight that Head’s character in Ted Lasso was named “Rupert,” in a nod to his rarely spoken first name in Buffy.

It was only yesterday that we were listening to the soundtrack for the Buffy musical episode, Once More, with Feeling. On top of everything else, Head was a terrific singer.

R.I.P., Ripper.

Plus: Remembrances from Buffy and Ted Lasso costars.