Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy (12 page)

Anthony Head (Giles)

 

Giles was the father figure Buffy so desperately needed. Brilliant but naive, brave but clumsy, stiff but loving, Giles was the perfect foil to Buffy’s impetuosity.

“I’ve always seen him as the trustworthy sort and a very calm person,” says Head. “There were times through the years when he certainly lost his temper, but for the most part he was the calming force of the group. He began as this sort of bookish librarian who had a great deal of knowledge about vampires and monsters but had never run across them. He knew nothing of real life.

“At the same time, we know that he has a rather disreputable past and is more or less atoning for his sins by helping the slayer. There was a time when he was quite the wild man.”

Before
Buffy
, most Americans knew Head, if at all, from his romantic Taster’s Choice commercials. But Head’s been a successful actor for years. Born in Camden Town, England, in 1954, Head began acting on stage and was in productions of
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Julius Caesar
,
The Heiress, Chess, Yonasab
, and
Rope
. In 1977, he took on a series of guest roles on British television. The actor’s first full-time acting job was on the series
Enemy at the Door.
He went on to do several more series and starred in the films
Lady Chatterley’s Lover, A Prayer for the Dying, and Devil’s Hill.

Head was a series regular on the short-lived Fox series VR.5, and made several guest appearances on
Highlander: The Series, NYPD Blue
, and
Spenser for Hire
.

When the role of Rupert Giles came along, he wasn’t sure what to think. Like many of his younger costars, Head was as surprised as anyone when
Buffy
took off. “I’ve worked for many years, and it is difficult to know in advance what will be a success,” says Head. “I knew we were working with a superb script and had a talented cast, but it is very much up to the audience to decide what will be a success.”

Over the years, Head’s stalwart Giles stood by his slayer and helped her through the more difficult times. He’s been punched, kicked, and whacked unconscious countless times, but he says it’s all a part of the job.

“In no way has my role on the show been as physical as Sarah’s, but there have been moments. There were times when I had to do certain things that meant being in good shape, but I’ve survived,” says Head.

Fans were heartbroken when Giles left Buffy behind to return home to England. Head is still a recurring character, but he felt he had to step down and go back and live with his family in England.

“The man has been away from home for more than six years and it was time for him to go back,” says Whedon. “Changes get made. The show evolves. It is a big hole. Anthony will be on the show on a recurring basis. We’ll be bringing him back a lot, because we love him. He left us when the kids were entering the grownup world. And, of course, they handle it just as badly as possible. But they don’t really need or don’t really know how to relate to a mentor figure. He was the grownup on the show. They’re now sort of becoming grownups.

“At first I didn’t want him to step down, I didn’t want that void. But in a way it sort of works for the show. Buffy doesn’t need somebody to tell her what to do now. She needs to figure it out on her own. So now I want to feel that lack, because they’re going to feel it. They’re constantly going to be going ‘If Giles were here somebody else could explain this,’ or ‘we’d have a grown-up who knew what to do and we’re still new at this.’ And I want the audience to feel the same way the characters do; that’s always the mandate on the show. So no, we won’t be bringing in another watcher.”

Originally he left to spend more time with his family and to do the
Buffy
spin-off,
Ripper
. Unfortunately, Joss’s busy schedule with his new series,
Firefly
, has put
Ripper
on hold temporarily. Instead, Head has been busy working on a new series,
Manchild.

 

 

A dapper-looking Anthony Head.

“It’s something that we definitely want to do and there’s great interest in the story,” says Whedon of
Ripper
. “The timing is just sort of bad right now.”

Head will do ten shows out of twenty-two in season seven. “He’s like that family member who lives far away, and you only get to see him every once in a while,” Whedon says, “and that’s what makes it special.”

For Head, working on the series was a blessing. “I’ve worked on so many shows where there were too many different people trying to control what was happening, and it was a complete mess. We don’t have that with
Buffy
. Joss knows how every single thing that is involved with the show must go, and the rest of us follow his lead. He’s made a terribly appealing show that is enjoyed by people of all ages, and that’s quite an amazing task when you think about it,” Head declares.

Whedon is clearly delighted with Head’s contribution. “Tony is great. A real actor. He really cares about the craft. It’s all there. The only conflict Tony and I have is that I always want him to give me less. He always wants to get out there and put it all on screen. I keep going, ‘The British guy—more restrained!’”

 

You just have to trust in that genius.

—Sarah Michelle Gellar

I like love stories, and that’s what [the] Willow and Tara story is.—Joss