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Anthony Stewart Head - Live Web Chat - 9th January 2003
Part 1
The appeal of Buffy and Ripper's status
Jenny: What is it that made Buffy the Vampire Slayer so attractive to you?
Tony Head: Duh! When you're an English actor in Los Angeles, most of what you see is fairly caricature, two-dimensional. Mostly villains or idiots. We're always the token buffoon colonialist who is responsible for everything going wrong.
When I read the script for Buffy, I was blown away by the fact that someone could actually write for an Englishman. Usually people write complex sentences, and there's also a cadence and intonation that American writers can't write. Joss Whedon has a wonderful way with dialogue. So I was desperate to turn the pages to find out what would happen, but also laughing loudly.
It's very rare you get a script that's so spot on. The role initially attracted me because I could see lots of levels, lots of areas to play.
Celtic Angel: Is there any chance that the Giles spin off show, Ripper, will get made?
Tony Head: Everybody's still keen, which is good. It got a bit sideswiped by a show Joss was making for Fox called Firefly, which has unfortunately been cancelled. But Ripper is still on the cards. Joss still wants to write it. We're all basically still on the map.
Joss fluctuates between whether he wants to start with a two-hour pilot, or whether he goes straight into a series. At the moment he's favouring a TV movie - which suits me with my schedule at the moment. I'm thankful to say I'm doing a lot of stuff, and I'd love to seal that up and [then] do Ripper as well as everything else.
Part 2
Coffee, Rocky Horror and Spike
Kelly Wilson: What would you like to be best remembered for in your acting career?
Tony Head: I think the Gold Blend coffee commercial [laughs]. I don't know - just to be remembered would be pretty cool. Who knows what I have yet to do. So far I'm most proud of playing Frank N Furter in Rocky Horror. Also, a thing I did for the BBC called Spooks. A lovely show. I was very proud to be part of it.
Bethany Ros: Do you plan to take on any more roles which involve singing in the future? You were great in the Buffy musical episode.
Tony Head: Thank you very much. Yes, now and again I'm offered something with singing in it. If I identify with the music then I have to do it. Somewhere out there in the ether there's a little CD I did last year in LA called Music for Elevators. It's a funny little piece - an electronic and acoustic eclectic mix. I think you can find it on the Internet.
Katt: As an bona fide Englishman, what do you think of James Marsters' portrayal of a Brit?
Tony Head: I think it's fantastic. I think he's a consumate actor. He's really really good, I think he's ridden it very well, and I'm very fond of him. We occasionally get to act together, and it's great fun.
They were originally looking for Sid Vicious, but the northern voice he did, I thought sounded great. I thought it made him sound well travelled. I had to correct the pronunciation of the occasional word... one word they spelt 'bollix' But I said, "That's not the way it's pronounced!"
Part 3
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.
Part 4
Talking to the dead, 007 and dogs
Asha: If you could have a conversation with someone, living or dead, who would it be?
Tony Head: There's so many. I'm looking at a piece from Shakespeare that I'll hopefully do in an acting class - Richard II. I'd love to have a chat with Shakespeare, because he's such an extraordinary individual.
I'd love to talk to Charles I - that would be interesting. There are so many people for so many different reasons. It would be kind of funky to chat to Hitler and find out what was going on in that funny little head, just to know why people did what they did.
Myrtle: I was a big fan of [the show] Woof. How did you like being a dog?
Tony Head: [Laughs] Thanks The most notable thing about Woof - and it was fun, I had a blast - [was that] we did some publicity stills. For anyone who didn't watch, it was about a boy who was embarrassed that he kept turning into a dog. I played a character like a Secret Service man, and I was a black labrador, come to help him out.
There was a point where he was kidnapped and I got all the local dogs to help out. I was dressed rather James Bond like with a tux, pulling a slightly Sean Connery type face, and one of the papers, I think the Star, got bored with the idea of it promoting Woof and said I would be the new Bond - in the middle of Timothy Dalton's run.
It was announced on the radio I'd be the new Bond, and I thought, "Oh my God". I asked my agent, who knew nothing about it. At the time they were already thinking about Pierce Brosnan, and were just ironing it out. So it was a little moment, created by Woof.
Unfortunately I'm just a little younger than Pierce - they need someone about ten years younger. He needs to have gravitas, but it also needs to be someone who can last a few years. I always fancied being Bond, I must admit, and I think I'd make quite a good Bond. I've been told that.
Part 5
Conventions and costumes
Ricochet01: Are you planning to attend any more conventions in the UK soon (it was great seeing you at the Eclipse convention)?
Tony Head: Thank you - it was nice being there. Yes, I'm sure. I think I've got something coming up in June. I'm doing a couple in the States - can't remember where. I have a great time at conventions.
What I enjoy most is the stand-up - the questions and answers. It's fun, and I must admit I most enjoy when I do it with someone else. I did a good one with James once, and also Robin Sachs [Ethan Rayne]. We have a good time with each other. His humour is very dry.
Wicker: Did you ever mind the clothes that you were made to wear as Giles? Would they be your choice?
Tony Head: I had a large say in what I wore. I wasn't really made to wear anything I didn't like. Sometimes the costume designer drifted from my original concept. I only wore one jacket in the first season, and I was at pains to have the same pair of shoes, even though they had a hole in them.
Costume tried to change them, but I said no. Our car park always gets flooded when it rains and I had to jump over the puddles. Then I went into season three after Jenny was killed. I asked how that kind of grief would be manifested, and I was told that you present an image to the world of being capable and in control when inside you're not.
So we changed my glasses from round to slightly squarer, and my suit went to a 30's style - very tailored, high-waisted with a waistcoat. So that look worked.
Then I felt like getting a bit funkier, so I went to wearing jeans most often and suede jackets. What's been fantastic about the job is that all the characters have evolved. I think it's an actor's job to be involved in the costumes.
That's one of the nice things about being a lead in the show - people ask you. I run everything by Joss, at the same time. Sometimes he agrees with me, other times he doesn't.
Part 6
Spooks, snogging and Doctor Who
Jimster: How did you get the part in Spooks, and what did you think about it?
Tony Head: I went up for it. I was sent the script and turned to see what sort of dialogue the character did, and there was this staggeringly beautiful speech about disillusionment.
I worked with the writer in the National Theatre on a play he translated. It was Howard Brenton. I was really bowled over about it. It was a lovely, lovely piece and I'm very proud of it.
Katie: Didn't it feel odd having to snog Anya?
Tony Head: Yes It really did. We found it very difficult, and my oldest daughter Emily found it very distasteful. It's an odd thing, snogging one of your closest friends. And young too! But it wasn't age, it was that we knew each other so well. The only thing I'd find harder would be to snog Alyson. That I couldn't do because we're such good friends.
Fsm_fan: Manchild was described as a British Sex and the City for 50-year old males. Could you ever see yourself as a similar character in Sex and the City?
Tony Head: Yeah. There's a cut off point which we say there is for a Manchild person, 30 max, so there might be a problem with the girls from Sex and the City.
Jason Lowe: Are you going to be the next Doctor Who? Please say you are thinking about it. You would be an amazing Doctor.
Tony Head: Thank you. I did audition for it long ago for the movie that Paul McGann did. We talked about it, but Paul was who they wanted and ended up with. Now, because I already have an icon attached to my name... you can't do too many of those. You need to try and keep it varied.
One of the things about being in actor is you have to try and construct a career, and use opportunities to the maximum. I think Doctor Who might be a little limiting now. But if a fantastic script came my way, I'd say yes.
Part 7
Randy Giles, high heels and fan fiction
Kendra-the-slayer: Was it hard not to burst out laughing when doing the scenes with James Marsters in tweed with the whole Randy Giles line?
Tony Head: At the time I was struggling with the character. They were suggesting he might be my son... it was like, "Okay, so how old does that make me look?" We always laugh, but I can't remember if we did at that particular moment. But we have a laugh - it's not one of those desperately intense sets.
Claudia: I'm really interested in prosthetic makeup and hope to study it at university. What was it like being made up as a Fyarl demon for season five?
Tony Head: It was fantastic. I had a great time. I loved playing with the character, and again I had a hand in the costume design.
So I worked out from that how we could make the hoof. Unfortunately you only see it once when I'm stamping on a child's toy. I was able to stomp around more. The make-up took about four or five hours. I found the smell of the latex glue [horrible] after a while.
I had to hold my breath. And at the end of the day when you just want to tear it off, it takes an hour to get it off. If you peeled it off you'd take a whole layer of skin off, so they had to use thinners.
Sally Goldsmith: Have you ever read the Buffy and Giles fan fiction on the web? If not, why? If yes, what do you think?
Tony Head: I did actually read some fairly purple... I thought, "My God". It was very flattering. That's all I could say really. I thought, "Good grief". But perhaps there's similar stuff about Captain Picard. They coupled me with Willow once, which I found a bit disturbing. I think it's good. It encourages people to write. Somewhere down the line they may use that to propel them to something else.
Risingflame: Do you appear as anything other than a living breathing human in season seven?
Tony Head: All I can say is... well that's the question isn't it? Albeit that we're in a spoiler zone, I can't say.
mishelly: How many more seasons might there be planned for Buffy? Or is it a secret?
Tony Head: [As it's] planned at the moment, we're in our last season as Buffy. Whatever will or may come from it will probably have a slightly different format. I know that Joss ever saw it going beyond seven [seasons]. Things have worked out the way they should have. I think it'll grow and develop and become something else.
Buffygem: What was your first reaction when Tara got killed off?
Tony Head: I was sorry to say goodbye to Amber because she's a very lovely person. She's got a fantastic voice - she's also on my little CD. James is on it too, but part of Joss' power is the fact that he can take a character that's much loved, and kill them.
Critics long long ago said they knew that Buffy was a cool show when it crossed the line - when Principal Flutie was killed. When he told us that Joyce would be killed, I was like, "How"? And then the brain tumour thing - that's life. And the show that followed Joyce's death was just a remarkable piece of work.
I thought Amber [Tara] dying was a very specific, clever plot point. I think it's a really, really strong cast, a very 'ensemble' cast.
Chris4: Your character keeps the Scoobies grounded, which is badly needed, especially with Tara gone. Will we be seeing more of you in season seven?
Tony Head: Joss very sweetly went on record as saying he'd underestimated the role my character played and that he wanted me for season seven. We were originally contracted [for me] to do at least ten [but] I think it'll probably work out at slightly more than that.
I think it actually worked out for me to leave in season six and leave them on their own, just because it meant there were several places they could go to. I think it's also fitting that I'll be around a bit more again. The current plotline has got them all over the place, and it's also that thing - who can you trust?
Who is who they are meant to be? The people you most want to trust are the people who let you down. The seventh series is very interesting. When [Joss] pitched the storyline, I thought "Wow, that's perfect". It also gives us an opportunity to see a lot of people we loved from the past coming back.
Lerena: Giles is such a richly textured character, and he's come such a long way since season one. Is there any one thing you'd love to see Giles to do/experience that he hasn't already?
Tony Head: He never truly went bad. I pitched that for years, but Joss said, "Just let it go". We don't know at the moment whether I'm bad or not. He never really manifested himself as the villain.
I suggested when I was talking about leaving the show, it was because I could be the baddie. I actually used to play a lot of baddies and now I don't play so many. It's always fun to play baddies Who knows what will happen? And if we ever get to do it, Ripper has a darkness about it in Joss' original brief that will be interesting.
BBC_Host: And here's Anthony with a final word...
Tony Head: Thank you for the questions. I love doing online chats because you get questions from fans - specific questions - and they are by and large more searching than your average journalist's questions, because there's no pitch or angle.
Part 8
Season seven spoilers
Part 9
More spoilers and final thoughts