Ted Lasso Season 4 Officially Pays Tribute to Its Best Actor After Death

Ted Lasso has finally honored Anthony Head, and Apple TV kept the gesture beautifully spare. Season 4, Episode 9, Mae Rides the Bus, ends with the words “In memory of Anthony Head” appearing on screen as Kingfishr’s Oh Love plays. Head, who turned Rebecca Welton’s poisonous ex-husband Rupert Mannion into one of the show’s most deliciously contemptible characters, died in June at 72.

Apple officially released Episode 9 on September 30, with its synopsis sending Mae on the road with the Lady Greyhounds while Richmond’s season reaches a precarious point. He was definitely one of Ted Lasso’s best actors because Rupert Mannion could have been painfully easy to hate and forget. Instead, Head gave him enough charm to understand why Rebecca once loved him, then let the cruelty creep through without turning Rupert into a cartoon villain. He could make a smile feel threatening and a casual remark sting for minutes afterward.

Anthony Head Made Rupert Deliciously Detestable

Credit: Apple TV

Rupert enters Ted Lasso as Rebecca’s adulterous ex-husband and former AFC Richmond owner, but Head resisted playing him as evil for evil’s sake. Discussing Rupert with The Guardian, Head called him “a particularly unpleasant character and a complete narcissist,” before adding an important qualification: 

That philosophy explains why Rupert could slither between smarmy charm, wounded vanity, cruelty, and genuine charisma without becoming a cardboard cad. FandomWire previously revisited that appeal while examining whether Rupert might return in Season 4. Head had explained why playing someone so brazenly self-assured amused him (via Vulture): 

His peers were even more effusive about the actor behind that venom. Following Head’s death, James Marsters called him “the best actor in the cast” of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and “the best of us.” Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, and Emma Caulfield also remembered his generosity and kindness (via Variety).

Ted Lasso Season 4 Let Rupert Haunt Richmond Anyway

Credit: Apple TV

Head did not appear in Ted Lasso Season 4, which had already finished filming before his death in June. Rupert nevertheless remains surprisingly important to its final stretch. Episode 8 revealed that numerous supporters had secretly sold portions of Richmond’s 49% fan-owned stake, with transactions running through offshore accounts. Rebecca immediately suspected Rupert was attempting to seize influence over the club again. FandomWire’s Episode 8 recap detailed the mystery and also flagged Zelda Southport’s billionaire associate Hugo Riddles as another possible culprit.

Episode 9 now provides the answer: Zelda, not Rupert, has been orchestrating the purchases, while Hugo works on her behalf. Rebecca spends much of the episode chasing her ex-husband’s ghost while the actual threat sits beside her. FandomWire’s Episode 9 recap explains the reveal and Richmond’s simultaneous promotion drama. There is something oddly appropriate about that misdirection. Rupert no longer needs to appear for Rebecca to fear what he might do. Head made the character such a formidable psychological presence that his shadow can still throw Richmond into panic.

Jeremy Swift, who plays Higgins, recently described the gulf between performer and character. “He was hugely beloved, and he delighted in playing this creepy guy,” Swift told TVLine, adding that Head was “the absolute opposite” of Rupert. Waddingham’s tribute cut even deeper: 

She called Head one of the finest gentlemen she had known and praised how deeply he cared about his fellow actors and crew. Head’s daughters, Emily and Daisy, confirmed that he died from complications of pneumonia, surrounded by his family. They said his legacy would endure through the productions and audiences he loved (via ITV News).

Which Anthony Head performance will you remember most? Tell us in the comments and follow FandomWire for more recaps, coverage, and Apple TV updates.