The Slayer honors her Watcher, who died at 72.

Sarah Michelle Gellar pays tribute to Buffy costar Anthony Head after his death: ‘I don’t have it figured out and I’m not ok’

The Slayer honors her Watcher, who died at 72.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in Vanity Fair, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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June 5, 2026 3:42 p.m. ET

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Anthony Head and Sarah Michelle Gellar on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. Credit:

- Sarah Michelle Gellar paid tribute to Anthony Head, her *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* costar who died at 72.

- Head played Rupert Giles, mentor and "Watcher" to Gellar's Buffy Summers across seven seasons of the popular TV drama.

- Head's daughters said he "passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia."

Sarah Michelle Gellar broke her silence on the death of Anthony Head, her longtime costar on *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*.

She began with a Buffy quote: "Tell Giles I figured it out and I’m ok."

"Well I don’t have it figured out and I’m not ok," Gellar wrote in a statement shared to Instagram. "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."

Head, who died at the age of 72, gained notoriety for playing Rupert Giles for seven seasons of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, starting with the 1997 pilot. Giles was the official Watcher of Gellar's Buffy Summers, assigned by the ancient British council to oversee the actions of the Slayer. As the character and Head became more beloved, Giles became more of a mentor and surrogate father figure to Buffy.

Head's daughters, Emily and Daisy, announced the death of their father on Friday, telling the BBC, "He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family."

"It has been, and forever will be, an honor and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many," Emily and Daisy's statement added.

Sarah Michelle Gellar reacts to Nicholas Brendon's death with heart-wrenching 'Buffy' quote

Alyson Hannigan posts emotional tribute to 'Buffy' costar Nicholas Brendon after his death: 'My Sweet Nicky'

Head was also known for playing former football club owner Rupert Mannion on *Ted Lasso*, and King Uther Pendragon on the BBC's *Merlin*.

Head in London in 2016.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

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News of Head's death comes a little more than two months after the passing of Nicholas Brendon, another prominent fixture of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*. Brendon, who played Xander Harris, died at 54 of atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Page Six first reported. Acute pneumonia and previous myocardial infarction — commonly known as a heart attack — were contributing factors.

At the Italian premiere of *Ready or Not 2: Here I Come*, Gellar said in reaction to Brendon's death that "it feels like we've had more tragedy than other shows," though she clarified it's "probably not the case." Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's younger sister Dawn, died at 39 in February 2025 due to complications from diabetes mellitus.

"It's a tragedy," Gellar added. "It's a tragedy when you lose anyone at any point. It's a bigger tragedy when you lose someone way sooner than needs to be."

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