Giles Ahead

He's the most famous ex-librarian in Sunnydale, the man behind the Gold Blend ads and an original star of 'The Rsocky Horror Show'. Here Anthony Stewart Head talks 'Buffy', 'Ripper', 'Manchild' and his debut album, 'Music For Elevators'.

Interview by Manish Agarwal

Settling down to chat in the bar of the Grosvenor House Hotel, the first thing you notice is the ear stud. The second is the accent: half-posh, half-London. 'My father was a public-school boy and he'd correct us all the time,' says ASH (47, extremely well preserved). 'I used to say 'you' and he'd say, 'It's 'yew'!' We moved from Camden down to Hampton in Middlesex when I was about six. I went to grammar school. I'd say 'yew' and get beaten up. So I very quickly developed the ability to change. Consequently, several girlfriends have said that when I get into a taxi I'm immediately [exaggerated cockney] 'Awright!' But all actors are chameleons a bit.'

Head has certainly had a varied career. After leaving LAMDA in 1976, his early stage roles included Jesus in 'Godspell' and Frank N Furter in 'The Rocky Horror Show'. Moving from the West End to television, he got his first taste of fame in 1982, starring opposite Sharon Maughan in the 'will they, won't they?' Gold Blend ads. Those ran for ten years, but staying in work afterwards was a struggle. 'I owe all of it to my partner, Sarah. When the commercial here had done its thing, she said that I should go over to the States. I got an agent, then it came time to do a stint in the pilot season. I went over alone and after two months of twiddling my thumbs. I said, 'It's driving me mad, why am I here?' Sarah said, 'Go to acting class, learn how they do it.' So I did. The day I signed on at class I got a Fox show called 'VR5'.'

An appearance in 'NYPD Blue' followed, before Head landed the part that has made him a star: genteel ex-librarian and father figure Rupert Giles, from TV's greatest drama 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer'. After five years in Los Angeles and 100 episodes as a regular cast member, Head decided last summer to return to Bath to be with his family. Happily, this fitted in with 'Buffy' creator Joss Whedon's plans for the sixth series, where Giles is a recurring guest character.

'Season Six is definitely about taking responsibility.' says Head. 'That's why Joss has me leaving - I realise I'm standing in Buffy's way. She comes back a very changed person. I'd love to dip in because I like to see everybody, but I always defer to Joss's innate sense of theatre. He always knows what works. And he's got a great writing team now, which is why he's able to back off a bit and talk about doing 'Ripper'.

'Ripper' is Whedon's proposed collaboration with the BBC: a melancholy spin-off vehicle for Giles (the title refers to the character's nickname as a tearaway student). It's been in gestation for a while. 'Joss wrote a two-hour pilot,' says Head. 'He only wants to do a short order, like a British drama series - he pitched it to me as 'Cracker' with ghosts. Now I believe he's got an order for six, and the pilot stands slightly outside of that. So I think he's writing another episode to give to the BBC an idea of budget and where it's placed. I've suggested the West Country (a) because it's where I live and (b) because it's steeped in myth and tradition. Joss is up for that, but first he's got to break a series for Fox as part of his contract. He's also doing a movie, and the Buffy cartoon is on it's way.'

In the meantime, Head can be seen alongside Don Warrington, Ray Burdis and Nigel Havers in 'Manchild', a new BBC2 sitcom about four middle-aged men who still want to behave like lads. 'Initially, there's nothing to recommend them. You know, 'We've got money, we've got babes, we've got fast cars.' As it progresses, you realise that they aren't these confident guys they paint themselves to be. They're flawed, and there are huge flaws in the argument that all you need is to get out of your marriage late in life with a packet of money, and then have the time you always wanted.'

He's fulfilled a few other ambitions, though ... 'We used to hang out at Joss's place Sunday nights and do Shakespeare readings. I got to do my Richard III recently. Then we'd have a few tequilas, sit around the piano and sing. I talked to Joss years ago about doing a Buffy musical, and then finally in the summer he sat down and wrote 'Once More, With Feeling' [episode seven of season six]. He's taken the inaccessible area of musical - why does everybody start singing? - and turned it to his advantage. It's the answer to 'Hush' [season four's spellbinding silent episode] where nobody could talk. We all sing about the things we're thinking; musicals are about expressing those emotions that you can't talk about. It works a real treat.'

Finally, there's an Anthony Stewart Head album, titled 'Music For Elevators' (in tribute to Brian Eno's 'Music For Airports'). 'Well, um, it's a little thing I did with this electronics composer, George Sarah. We brought in a bunch of friends: James and Amber [Marsters and Benson, aka Spike and Tara] to do backing vocals, and Joss wrote a really sweet song for it. When I first played it to him I was very nervous, because his roots are the Grateful Dead. So when I recorded his track he didn't like it at all. But I played it again when we got the mixes and he said, 'Ooh, you made me funky!' I don't know if it'll ever hit England. I'm not intending to hype it. There's a little website and the fans can find that if they're feeling adventurous.

'Manchild' starts on BBC2 in Feb. 'Buffy' season five is on BBC2 on Thursdays (repeated on Fridays). Season six starts on Sky One this Thursday (10 Jan). 'Music For Elevators' can be bought from www.cmhrecords.com