A new exhibition in London charts the career of Anthony Head, an actor who has become a cultural shorthand for a certain kind of British charm. The show, which opened at the National Portrait Gallery on Thursday, features photographs spanning four decades, from his early days as the sultry face of Nescafe to his recent role as a gruff but lovable football coach in Ted Lasso.
It is a life in pictures that reveals not just a career but a shift in British identity. Head’s rise to fame in the 1980s coincided with the era of the ‘golden lager ad’, a time when commercials were a legitimate route to stardom. His coffee adverts made him a household name, a figure of aspirational domesticity. Then came Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where he played the complicated, morally ambiguous Giles, and suddenly he was an icon for a generation weaned on American television.
But the real story here is what these images say about class and ageing in Britain. Head’s later career, including his role in the BBC’s Merlin and his Emmy-nominated turn in Ted Lasso, shows an actor who has aged gracefully, moving from heartthrob to beloved character actor. It is a trajectory that feels distinctly British: less about maintaining youthful glamour and more about accruing character and wisdom.
The exhibition is a celebration but also a subtle commentary. As you walk through the rooms, you see the transformation of a man who went from selling instant coffee to representing the best of British decency on American screens. It is a journey that mirrors the changing nature of celebrity itself: from the fleeting fame of advertising to the lasting impact of televised storytelling.
On the street, the response has been mixed. Some visitors are nostalgic for the Head of the 1980s, others for his Buffy years. But there is a consensus that his career reflects a broader cultural shift: from a time when British actors could be defined by a single advert to an era where they can reinvent themselves across mediums and audiences.
In the end, this exhibition is not just about Anthony Head. It is about all of us: how we remember, how we age, and how we find new meaning in familiar faces.
