Drama school and favourite episodes

Keynes: I am a struggling young actor - please don't tell me you jumped straight into Gold Blend then Buffy. How did you get started?

Tony Head: I went to drama school - but that's not necessarily for everyone. Some suit it, some don't. In my day it was the easiest way of getting an Equity card. But these days you don't have to.

My first job was a musical, and I had quite an interesting and varied career in the theatre and television long before the Gold Blend ad came along. I played leads at the National Theatre and all things. The Gold Blend ad gave me a profile which meant that when I wanted to travel to Hollywood, it just gave me a foot in the door - I was a recognisable face.

I did a series in LA for Fox which only went for 12 episodes, called VR5. Then I did a couple more pilots, then auditioned for Buffy. That's 25-30 years on from when I started acting.

Jason: What is your best Buffy episode?

Tony Head: I used to say Passion. Although Joss didn't write it, I love doing the stuff he writes. It was a fascinating show. I think everyone was really good in it - it had a poetic feel. I think since then, Hush was a stunning episode, and also Once More With Feeling - it's amazing that it hasn't won awards.

People get confused by Buffy - they can't work out if it's comedy, variety, what the hell it is. It's also been on minor networks, which means politically it isn't placed well for an award. I think the musical is standalone, and he took a genre which really doesn't work well on TV, and turned the things that didn't work to its advantage.

He also broke three storylines - mine about leaving, the Tara/Willow splitting, and the Spike and Buffy stuff. It's just an amazing piece of work. It's nice to know someone like Joss who's that talented, and isn't up their own bottom about it - remarkably grounded individual.