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British actor Anthony Head, best known for his roles on television in series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Merlin and Ted Lasso, has passed away at the age of 72.

The actor gained global praise in the 1990s for his portrayal of Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He also played King Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon on the BBC series Merlin.

“He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family,” his daughters, Emily and Daisy said in a statement.

“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,” they said.

They spoke about “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”.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played the titular character on Buffy, posted pictures with Head on Instagram.

“‘Tell Giles I figured it out and I’m ok.’ Well, I don’t have it figured out and I’m not ok. But I know I’m the lucky one because I knew you,” she wrote.

She thanked Emily and Daisy who “not only shared their dad with me, but with the world”.

Their co-stars David Boreanaz and James Marsters also paid tribute to the star, with Boreanaz describing him as, “All kindness and a soul that was inspiring to me.”

Marsters said, “There was a hole in the world,” now that Head had passed away.

“He was an unflaggingly kind and steady presence on the set of Buffy, and the best actor in the cast… I was lucky to have known, and learned from him,” Marsters wrote.

Head also starred in Ted Lasso from 2020 as former Richmond FC owner Rupert Mannion, the ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham’s character Rebecca Welton.

Brett Goldstein, their co-star and a writer on the show, said: “Anthony Head was a brilliant actor who played the worst person in the world, which was an incredible skill because he was the best person.”

“He will be sorely missed,” Goldstein said, sending love to Head’s family.

The actor trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and enjoyed a long stage career, performing in several iterations of The Rocky Horror Show and musicals such as Godspell and Chess.

Head’s other credits included a recurring role on the show Little Britain and appearances in Motherland, Doctor Who, The Archers and Bridgerton.

He also appeared in The Inbetweeners alongside his daughter Emily.

Head came from a family of artists, with his mother being an actor and his father making documentaries. His brother Murray is also an actor, having appeared in the Academy Award-nominated film Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Both his daughters followed their father into acting and Head’s long-term partner Sarah Fisher was an animal rights campaigner. She died in December last year.