Anthony S. Head

Anthony Head - About his career - Bbc.co.uk Interview

Actor Anthony Head has become a familiar face on television thanks to a string of high-profile roles.

The actor's numerous credits include Hotel Babylon

The 54-year-old became a fixture in Little Britain playing a Prime Minister plagued by his infatuated aide, Sebastian.
And on the other side of the Atlantic, his portrayal of Rupert Giles in
cult hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer for six years made him a household
name.
His new venture is playing one half of an ageing criminal duo in comedy drama The Invisibles.
The performer gives an introduction to his latest character, and
reveals the lasting impact Buffy has had on his life and career.

Tell me about your new character and the story behind The Invisibles.
Maurice was part of a criminal gang who were never caught. He
has a heart attack in Spain and his wife [played by Jenny Agutter] says
they should go back to England to a retirement flat.
But he's still champing at the bit and goes back to his old
ways with his friend Syd, played by Warren Clarke. We're definitely an
odd couple. It's wonderfully written, rich and dense, of the kind you
don't get these days and we have big speeches!
Have you worked with Warren Clarke before?
I hadn't. It was hideous, we had a horrible time together. No,
it was a match made in heaven right from day one. The chemistry had to
be right - if it wasn't then the whole thing would have folded inwards.
It was lovely to support him and be supported.

Head (r) teams up with Warren Clarke in The Invisibles

You character is of retirement age. Did you have to undergo any sort of transformation to play the part?
He's of young retirement age, in his mid-50s. I had to add a few
years - the most ignominious part of it was having to grey up my chest
hairs when they were on display. The hair on your head is fine, but the
chest hair is not nice! And because I'd come home from a sunny climate, there was an extra layer around the creases in my face which stood out.
But Maurice is still on top of his game. He hasn't let himself go, is a
sharp dresser and has a lovely wife. I was also given a haircut which
lends him extra gravitas which I'm going to keep for a while!
What's happening with your career on the US front?
About 18 months ago I did a pilot for ABC which was executive
produced by Elton John in which I played a demanding gay rock star. It
wasn't commissioned, but I got to sing some songs with Elton which was
pretty cool. I recently did a film called Repo: The Genetic Opera which has the
distributors confused because it's pure rock opera, back to the days of
Tommy with some great songs and an interesting plot like a Greek
tragedy. It's not coming out for a while but has already had some good
reviews.
Is there any prospect of working with Little Britain's Matt Lucas and David Walliams again?
They're writing Little America for HBO at the moment with a
character like the Prime Minister I played along the lines of a US
Senator. Whether or not it's me - they sweetly talked about it a long
time ago - or the network might want some American actor.
It depends on when they film it as well - I've gone straight
from The Invisibles to another BBC series Merlin, and if The Invisibles
gets a second series I'll go straight into that again.
But I'm a firm believer in what will be will be.

Buffy is still hugely popular with the fans. Do you enjoy being remembered for your role as Giles?

It's always nice to meet people who say they like what you do. Some
of them go all quivery and I say that actors are just ordinary people
who got a good break - please don't put us on a pedestal! The good thing about Buffy is that it keeps regenerating its audience.
Young
kids who are Little Britain fans are just clocking into Buffy. It's
still out there and no-one has come close to maintaining the integrity.it achieved throughout its seven seasons

_________________
http://www.myspace.com/elespagnol

Il fait que des trucs ou il faut chanter, il aime vraiment ca!!! sourire

Il a l'air super, j'adore sa derniere réponse a propos des fans de Buffy!
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En vacances

Anthony Head's heaven and hell
Steve Clark
Last Updated: 2:31PM BST 02/05/2008

Anthony Head, British actor and star of BBC's The Invisibles, talks to Steve
Clark about his best and worst holiday experiences.

Which was your best holiday?

When I was filming Buffy the Vampire Slayer in America, for a couple of weeks
beforehand we would always fit in a family holiday in California. They were
the best. Our daughters were about eight and 10 at the time and we’d just
hang out in Los Angeles, going to places such as Disneyland and Universal
Film Studios. Sometimes my wife, Sarah, and I would go to Shutters Hotel in
Santa Monica. Another time we all went to San Francisco. We had great
quality time together.

And the best hotel you have stayed in?
Stonefield Estate in St Lucia, where I went recently to review a book for the
Richard & Judy show. The rooms were little villas set into a hillside
overlooking the ocean. It was incredible. The bar and restaurant were a
short walk away up some stone steps. After your meal, you could wander back
to your room, listening to the crickets and tree frogs.

What do you need for a perfect holiday?

My family. That’s it, really. For me, holidays are about spending time
together and enjoying each other’s company.

What do you always take with you?

My iPod, and I try to take my laptop. I don’t log on all the time, but I find
email is the simplest way to communicate internationally.

What’s your best piece of travel advice?

One bit of advice someone gave me - which I haven’t yet tried - is that if you
go to an area where you might pick up a tummy bug, you should seek out the
local probiotic yogurt. Eating it will introduce you to the local gut flora,
apparently.

Where do you want to go next?

I’ve been to Australia a couple of times, but never to the north or the
centre. I would love to see Ayers Rock. I’d also really like to go to New
Zealand, which is supposed to be beautiful.

...and disasters?

Which was your worst holiday?

Well, it wasn’t a holiday, but I had expected to do some sightseeing when I
went to Haiti to film a series called True Horror for Discovery. Before I
arrived, our film crew were kidnapped and held at knifepoint. Six policemen
were decapitated and left by the roadside while I was there and I heard
gunfire every night.

We didn’t go out much, so I didn’t see a lot of the place. I was bitten by a
spider and had to go to hospital because my leg got infected. I was told the
bite could have been fatal if it hadn’t been treated.

What is the biggest packing mistake you’ve made?

Sarah, her mum, our girls and I once went to York for a weekend. Sarah packed
for the girls and herself, and I had to pack for myself. It was only once
we’d got to our hotel that I realised I had not packed anything for myself -
not a single thing.

Which is the worst hotel you’ve stayed in?

We once went to a hotel in New York that had cockroaches. We’d just arrived
tired and had booked to stay for a few days. We spent one night there, then
moved elsewhere.

What do you avoid on holiday?

Tourists. We like going to places a bit more off the beaten track.

What do you hate about holidays?

That they have to come to an end. You arrive and it’s all great. Then, from
about halfway, you get the feeling that it is going to end - and then it
suddenly starts to run away.
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