The stars of the cult classic television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer are mourning the death of central cast member Anthony Head. His passing comes less than three months after the early death of another main cast member, Nicholas Brendon, and less than 16 months after the death of a lead actress from the show before she had even turned 40.
British television veteran Head, who played Rupert Giles for the entire seven-season run of Buffy from 1997 to 2003, died following complications from pneumonia, his daughters revealed in a statement. They said he passed peacefully and surrounded by family. His death came six months after the passing of his longtime partner and mother to his children, Sarah Fisher.
Buffy Co-Stars Pay Tribute: 'I'm Not OK'
Head's former co-stars have expressed their sorrow over his death. After repeating a quote from the show — 'Tell Giles I figured it out and I'm ok' — Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Buffy, added: 'Well I don't have it figured out and I'm not ok.' She continued: 'But I know I'm the lucky one because I knew you. Thank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their dad with me, but with the world,' referencing Head's two daughters.
James Marsters, who played the vampire Spike on the show, said on social media that there was a 'hole in the world' after Head's passing. '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,' Marsters wrote. He called himself lucky to have both known and learned from Head. 'He left the world a better place for his presence,' he added.
Actress Emma Caulfield, who played Anya Jenkins across several seasons, shared a photo of herself with Head and reminisced about a day they spent together long after the show ended. 'This was taken on the London Underground in 2011. I went to visit my friend Tony on the set of The Iron Lady. We had lunch, hit up a record store, had dinner and drinks and laughed until our sides hurt. It was a perfect day,' she wrote.
David Boreanaz, who starred as Buffy's vampire love interest Angel, wrote on social media that Head was 'so kind and generous of a soul.'
Buffy Cast Rocked by Spate of Deaths
Head's passing marks the third sudden death of a core cast member within 16 months. The stars are still reeling from the death of Nicholas Brendon, who played the lead male role of Xander Harris across all seven seasons. Brendon died on March 20 at age 54. His death was later revealed to be caused by atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with acute pneumonia and previous myocardial infarction (heart attack) as contributing factors.
Brendon's longtime manager and friend, Theresa Fortier, found him 'in a sleeping position on the couch' and called emergency services. He is believed to have died several hours before being found. Putnam County Coroner Todd Zeiner said Brendon had been suffering from ill health at the time of his death. 'He was markedly coughing and had a raspy voice. Theresa stated the decedent had been having a persistent cough and had been self-medicating with over-the-counter medications. He had been complaining about chest pain,' Zeiner said.
His manager said she had urged him to seek hospital treatment, but he declined. 'He was a longtime smoker and was apprehensive about going due to his recent back surgery,' Zeiner wrote. At the time of his death, co-star Gellar paid tribute by quoting one of his character's most memorable lines: ''They'll never know how tough it is to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight, and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realises, because nobody's watching me.' She added, 'I saw you Nicky. I know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky.'
Last February, the Buffy cast was rocked by the death of Michelle Trachtenberg, who joined the show in season five and played Dawn Summers, Buffy's younger sister. Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York City apartment on February 26 last year, and her cause of death was complications from diabetes mellitus. She had earlier suffered a cardiac arrest after receiving a liver transplant. Onlookers reported she appeared frail and could barely walk down stairs in the days before her death. Trachtenberg, who went on to star in shows like Gossip Girl and Mercy after Buffy, was just 39 years old.
