Buffy and Ted Lasso star Anthony Head dies at 72

British actor Anthony Head, best known for his roles in TV shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso, Merlin and Little Britain, has died at the age of 72.

Head found international fame as Rupert Giles in hit teen sci-fi show Buffy in the late 1990s.

He went on to have a recurring role in sketch show Little Britain, play king Uther Pendragon in the BBC's Merlin, and appear as former football club owner Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso.

His other credits included The Iron Lady, Persuasion, The Inbetweeners and Manchild.

In a statement, his daughters Emily and Daisy Head, they said "it is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father".

"He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family," they said.

"It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many."

His daughters also said they knew "how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues and fans of the show he was in", adding that he "loved his job very much" and "always considered himself incredibly lucky".

His family acknowledged that "his legacy will live on" and said they considered themselves "lucky" to have watched him doing what he loved throughout his career.

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