Who Anthony Head was, as Ted Lasso season 4 pays tribute to him in the penultimate episode

Ted Lasso season 4’s penultimate episode ends on an emotional note, and one of the biggest reasons is a tribute to Anthony Head, so who is he?

The Apple TV comedy-drama follows Ted Lasso, an American football coach who moves to England to manage AFC Richmond despite having no experience with English football. Across its first three seasons, the show became known for its mix of comedy, football and more emotional storylines, with plenty of memorable characters along the way.

One of those characters was Rupert Mannion, played by British actor Anthony Head. At the end of episode 9, “Mae Rides the Bus”, a card appears reading, “In Memory of Anthony Head.”

So, who is Anthony Head?

Anthony Head was a British actor best known for playing Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso and Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was born on February 20, 1954, and died on June 1, 2026, aged 72.

Head wasn’t part of the main Ted Lasso cast when the series began, but he became a major part of the show through his role as Rupert Mannion. He played Rebecca Welton’s ex-husband and one of the series’ main antagonists.

Head had a long career across television, film and theatre. Before Ted Lasso, he was already widely recognised for playing Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the librarian and mentor who became one of the show’s most important characters.

He also appeared in projects including Merlin, Little Britain, Bridgerton and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.

In Ted Lasso, Head played Rupert, the wealthy businessman and Rebecca’s former husband. Rupert had previously owned AFC Richmond, but Rebecca took control of the club after their divorce. Basically, he was not exactly thrilled about losing Richmond. Head first appeared in Ted Lasso as a recurring cast member before becoming a series regular in season three.

Rupert later bought another Premier League club, West Ham United. He also brought Nathan Shelley, played by Nick Mohammed, over to work for him after Nathan left Richmond.

That storyline eventually came to an end in season three, when Rupert lost West Ham.

So, why was Anthony Head’s death mentioned in Ted Lasso season 4?

Head died on June 1, 2026, after season 4 had already finished production. According to Deadline, production on season 4 had wrapped in January, several months before his death. Sources also told the publication that there had been “no formal plans for Head to be in Season 4” and “no official approach to him about appearing.”

So, the season wasn’t rewritten because of his death. That also explains why there wasn’t an immediate tribute at the start of the season.

Head’s Rupert did, however, become relevant again in episodes 8 and 9. Rupert’s name came back into the story when Higgins, played by Jeremy Swift, worked out that someone had been secretly buying shares in AFC Richmond. With some help from Mae’s advice to “Follow the anger,” Higgins concluded that Rupert was behind the purchases.

It looked like Rupert was trying to regain control of Richmond. But episode 9 revealed that things weren’t quite what they seemed. The person behind the operation was actually Tracey Ullman’s Zelda Southport. She is a wealthy entrepreneur who had become involved with Richmond’s women’s team.

So, putting the dedication at the end of episode 8 could also have spoiled the surprise. Which is why the tribute appeared at the end of episode 9 instead.

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