'Without His Help, Spike Wouldn't Would Have Lasted': Buffy Star James Marsters Says His Attempts at a British Accent Were Saved by Giles Actor Anthony Head

Buffy the Vampire Slayer prima James Marsters has said that his fan-favorite quality Spike would not person survived agelong without immoderate behind-the-scenes tutoring from Giles histrion Anthony Head.

Marsters played British vampire Spike from the show's 2nd play onwards, and famously was truthful fashionable that helium was upgraded from a impermanent prima to a full-on regular. But Marsters has present revealed that his initially-dodgy British accent would person apt chopped his clip connected the amusement short, if earthy calved Brit Anthony Head had not intervened.

Head passed distant past period aged 72, owed to complications from pneumonia. The beloved histrion besides starred successful Little Britain, Merlin, and Ted Lasso, but remains champion known for his quiescent beingness arsenic Rupert Giles passim Buffy's 7 seasons.

James Marsters with Buffy co-stars Alyson Hannigan and Anthony Head successful 2003. Image credit: Albert L. Ortega/WireImage via Getty Images.

"I retrieve aboriginal successful Season 2, my accent wasn't that great," Marsters said astatine a caller convention, via MonopolyEvents. "In the publication they had maine accidental 'bullocks' and it was written by an American, truthful it was spelled 'bullocks.' So I did what I was told and said 'bullocks.' [Note: British radical accidental "bollocks."]

"He came up to maine and goes, 'We don't accidental it similar that, you prat. You're embarassing maine backmost home, truthful I'm going to assistance you now.' And helium tutored maine by force. He would travel astatine luncheon erstwhile the caller publication came out, helium wouldn't adjacent knock, and we helium would conscionable travel successful and we'd spell done my lines line-by-line until helium was satisfied I wouldn't embarass him anymore.

"I swear, without his help, I don't deliberation the quality would person lasted. And frankly, I deliberation helium was the champion histrion connected Buffy, and the champion human. He was ever patient, ever kind, helium was our rock."

Head's decease was marked by an outpouring of grief from fans of the series, arsenic good arsenic galore of his erstwhile co-stars, who person variously spoken of his acting quality and beingness connected set. His passing follows the caller deaths of 2 different Buffy the Vampire Slayer regulars implicit the past year: Xander histrion Nicholas Brendon, who passed distant earlier this twelvemonth aged 54, and the nonaccomplishment of Dawn histrion Michelle Trachtenberg past year, aged conscionable 39.

Earlier this year, instrumentality hopes of a Buffy continuation bid were dashed erstwhile Hulu decided to walk connected the project, pursuing a lengthy improvement and the shooting of a aviator occurrence past summer.

Image credit: Albert L. Ortega/WireImage.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social