‘Ted Lasso’ Honors Anthony Head With a Quiet, Heartfelt Tribute in Its Penultimate Episode

Anthony Head spent decades playing characters audiences never forgot, but few were as fun to hate as Rupert Mannion on ‘Ted Lasso’. As Rebecca’s adulterous ex-husband and the former owner of AFC Richmond, he was the show’s original antagonist, played with enough elegance that viewers understood exactly why Rebecca once fell for him.

Head died in June at the age of 72. His daughters, Emily and Daisy, said he passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family. The news prompted tributes from co-stars across his career, and fans of the Apple TV comedy wondered how the series would mark his loss.

This week, they got their answer. In the penultimate episode of the show’s fourth season, ‘Ted Lasso’ ended with a simple title card that read “In Memory of Anthony Head,” acknowledging the popular recurring cast member who played Rupert in the first 3 seasons.

Many viewers expected the tribute to appear in an episode featuring Rupert. Rupert had his season 4 moment in episodes 8 and 9, so paying tribute after the close of his two-episode arc felt most appropriate.

Running the card at the end of episode 8 likely would have spoiled the surprise that it was not Rupert buying the shares. The card instead appeared at the end of episode 9, ‘Mae Rides the Bus,’ punctuating the episode’s emotional final moments while a song by Kingfishr played.

Head did not appear in the new season, which had already finished filming in January, months before his death. Sources say no storylines were altered following his passing, and there were no formal plans for him to return, with no official approach made to him.

Head had recurred on the first 2 seasons before becoming a series regular in the third. His final acting credits were the third season of ‘Ted Lasso’, which aired in 2023, and the 2024 Prime Video film ‘Upgraded’.

For a generation of viewers, Head will always be Rupert Giles, the Watcher and mentor on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. He was a main cast member for the first 5 of the show’s 7 seasons and returned as a recurring character for the final two.

He also played the Prime Minister in ‘Little Britain’ and King Uther Pendragon in ‘Merlin’. Fans have pointed to the contrast between the warm, fatherly Giles and the narcissistic Rupert as a testament to his range.

Head’s death prompted an outpouring from his colleagues. Hannah Waddingham, who played Rebecca, said there is no Rebecca without Rupert, and she called him one of the finest gentlemen she had known, praising how deeply he cared about his fellow actors and crew.

Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent, described him as a brilliant actor who played the worst person in the world, while Jeremy Swift, who plays Higgins, bid him goodbye and said the cast adored him.

On the ‘Buffy’ side, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter and Emma Caulfield all paid tribute. Gellar said she was the lucky one because she knew him, and she thanked his daughters for sharing their father with the world.

New trailer for 'Ted Lasso' Season 4 has been released. pic.twitter.com/Ka1rAraH4d

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) April 28, 2026

Head’s death came just six months after the death of his partner of 37 years, animal-welfare advocate Sarah Fisher, in December 2025. His daughters described her as an extraordinary, kind and talented mother.

Against that backdrop, the simple card at the end of the episode carried extra weight, and fans have been sharing their favorite memories of Rupert and Giles online.

The season’s finale is the last chapter of the show’s latest run. For Head’s fans, the tribute was a reminder of the range of his career and the lasting affection people had for him.

Apple TV kept the gesture spare, letting the card speak for itself instead of adding an extended segment. It was a fitting approach for an actor who let his performances speak for themselves.

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