Anthony Head, best known as Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, died Friday at 72. Fans and former costars responded immediately across social media.
His post-Buffy credits were substantial: Uther Pendragon in Merlin, the Prime Minister in Little Britain, a villain in the Doctor Who episode School Reunion, and Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso. A Giles spinoff titled Ripper was discussed but never produced.
The full piece compiles 10 specific Giles moments, and the argument it makes is worth reading: Giles-centric episodes are rare, yet the character holds the show together. Head's craft was reactive, not starring. Take him out of any scene and the whole thing loses structural integrity.
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