Sarah Michelle Gellar and other Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast members are mourning the loss of their beloved co-star, Anthony Stewart Head.
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Head, who passed away yesterday at 72, was a fan-favorite for his role as Rupert Giles, Buffy’s Watcher, mentor, and father figure. He was a main cast member for the first five seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and a recurring character for its final two. Throughout the show’s seven-season run from 1997 to 2003, Head starred alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, and Alyson Hannigan, among others.
Sarah Michelle Gellar paid tribute to her co-star and friend in a heartbreaking Instagram post.
“Tell Giles I figured it out and I’m ok,” she wrote, sharing several candid snapshots of her and Head. The post also included a screenshot of a famous scene they shared on Buffy.
“Well, I don’t have it figured out, and I’m not ok,” Gellar 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.”
David Boreanaz, who played the vampire with a soul, Angel, in the series, also paid tribute to Head on Instagram.
“This is how I met Anthony, in laughter and smile always. And this is how I will remember him always. All kindness and a soul that was inspiring to me. Thank you, brother. RIP, “Boreanaz wrote alongside a snapshot of the two grinning wide on the set of Buffy.
Eliza Dushku, who played rogue Slayer Faith, also paid tribute to Head on her Instagram Stories.
“Tony H, for every scene and timed shared, give thanks. Rest in love and peace, kind sir. A dear one,” she wrote.
More ‘Buffy’ Cast Members Pay Tribute to Anthony Stewart Head: ‘He Was the Best of Us’
Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia, also shared a heartfelt message to Head.
“Tony brought life to a character who, for so many, was the father figure they needed but didn’t have at home,” she wrote in part. “Fans far and wide are surely grieving, and for that, I am deeply sorry.”
“There’s a hole in the World,” James Marsters, who played Spike on the show, began in his Instagram tribute. “Anthony Head has passed on from us. 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 added. “I was lucky to have known and learned from him. He left the world a better place for his presence. Thank you, Tony, for all you gave.”
Emma Caulfield, who played Anya in the series, shared a photo of Head alongside a lengthy, thoughtful tribute.
“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.
“There were many of these moments with this amazing human who I was lucky enough to call my friend for 27 years,” Caulfield added. “He was kind and wise and a guide in troubled times. You were so loved. Impossible to caption. You are so missed. rest in peace with your beautiful Sarah-Emma.”
Of course, the Buffy community has been struck by a series of profound losses. The news of Head’s death comes after the passing of Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander Harris, earlier this year at the age of 54. Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her role as Buffy’s sister Dawn Summers, also passed away last year at 39.