Your Watcher and Mine

I had a trio of favorite characters on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."  If I recall, they were Xander, Giles, and Spike.  And while I never worked on any show with James Marsters, I did a "Kitchen Confidential" episode with Nicholas Brendan*, and a pilot that didn't get picked up starring Anthony Stewart Head.  

Later, when I started watching BTVS, I grew to love the character of Rupert Giles, and kept waiting for the episode where he is killed (I had misunderstood his fate amid the many spoilers that I could not avoid), and began to imitate the way he would say, "Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer..." at the start of episodes.**

Yes, his brother sang "One Night In Bangkok."

It was that mediocre impression, though, that got me a "gig" (ie, unpaid) of voicing Giles on an audio adaptation of the Dark Horse Buffy comics.  While I'm sure I would wince at the badness of my English accent if I listened to those today, twenty years ago it was good enough for (unpaid) government work.

Anyway, it turns out that Anthony Stewart Head died this past Monday.  It was due to complications after pneumonia, and he was only seventy-two.  But even if he'd lived to be ninety, it would be too soon for such an inspiring and underrated actor.  

Besides "Buffy," he was on "Merlin," and the second Percy Jackson movie, in "Bridgerton," "Little Britain," SWEENEY TODD, THE IRON LADY, and probably the worst movie ever made based on a Marvel comic***, GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE.

I never met the guy, unfortunately.  I did see him at a San Diego Comic-Con one trip, signing a book (I looked it up, and there aren't any listings on Amazon for books he's written).  I asked if I could get in the line, but it was already capped.  I bet somebody with Tony's charisma couldn't charmed their way into the queue.

It turns out he had a major role in "Ted Lasso," which I was not aware of (Jeff's a big fan).  Oh, and Jeff and I watched DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES last week, and discovered that the creepy villainous witchgirl was played by Emily Head, Tony's daughter.  

It was thinking about that pilot--it was called "Him & Us" and he played a pop star based on Elton John and we were shooting concert scenes all day long, where I was a fan.  The songs were all original to the show, and the "band" performed them so many times that a bunch of us on my row (including a pretty blonde lass I was fortunate enough to sit next to) started singing along to them, just like if were were real lifelong fans of this guy (Maxx Flash was the character name).  I worked on a ton of programs until I pissed off Sony, but that was one of the highpoints of my time as an extra. 

It's really Giles that I'll remember him for.  He played Buffy's Watcher, guiding her and the rest of the gang, acting as the adult in the room, even when that was difficult.  He brought warmth and intelligence to the role of Buffy's father figure, and sang in two episodes.  He had such a gravitas and professionalism to his performance that you believed everything he said, no matter how ridiculous.  It was an excellent show--one of my all-time favorites--and he made it better.

R.I.P.

*I really should have blogged about it, but I read the news at the end of a shift, and I honestly only ever blog here at work (or at the cabin in the summer).  When I worked with Nicholas, I had only ever seen one episode of "Buffy," and hadn't gone back (though it HAD been a Xander-centric first season episode).  Only later would I appreciate the show.  And him.  But still, I should've said something on here.

**I say it to this day, including this past Tuesday when my cousin and I were watching "The Rookie."  It is probably annoying to everybody around me, but no matter what the show is, I call it "Previously on BTVS."

***Which yes, I realize is saying something.