Anthony Head

WHEN Anthony Head took the part in US hit series Buffy The Vampire Slayer he had a fair idea it would bring him international fame, and a certain amount of kudos with the kids.

But he had no clue the five-year stint would lead to him becoming something of a frontman for all things ghoulish.

In a step away from acting, Anthony will be presenting a new show about the mysterious world of the paranormal.

During the making of the series - which took him to countries including Romania, Greece, Syria and France - Anthony became something of an authority on subjects from vampires to werewolves.

"So much of what we accept - that popular plastic myth that Hollywood has made for the past 40 years - is based on truth and folklore," explains the 50-year-old heart-throb.

"In Romania they still believe in vampires. They really do, it’s not like a popular quaint legend, they actually think there are people out there who will rip your heart out.

"I met the retired head of the exorcism division at the Vatican. The guy talked completely seriously about an incident when iron nails manifested in the entrance of someone’s mouth and another time when six people tried to hold down someone who was being levitated.

"And you think, ’Well, this isn’t just Hollywood fantasy’.

"I’ve always had an open mind. I don’t see how scepticism helps anybody. When people say ’healthy scepticism’ I don’t understand. What’s healthy about that? All you’re doing is blocking. I’d rather someone opened my mind."

The series opened up some fairly strange doors for Anthony, who at one point found himself holding hands with a corpse.

"I interviewed a criminal pathologist about the myths surrounding vampires. Their characteristics are very similar to that of a body when it decomposes - such as the skin shrinking so nails look longer - which has added to the theories.

"My initial reaction was to refuse but then I thought, ’I’m an actor, it’s not going to hurt and it’s a new experience’. So I did.

"The smell will be with me forever," he recalls with a laugh.

"I wasn’t sick but apparently the expression on my face tells it all.

"It was very unreal until I held her hand. There’s something about holding someone’s hand. It was lifeless and very cold but the person was there. It was like ... ’Bloody hell’."

But despite enduring all these unusual encounters, what actually worried Anthony the most was appearing in front of the camera as himself, with no character to hide behind.

"I was scared," he admits.

"I’m an actor. Don’t make out I’m this intelligent Jeremy Paxman type because I’m not. As it happens, all you’re doing is talking to someone and once they start talking they’re only too willing to talk."

A role in Buffy gave the former Gold Blend man street cred, and a top spot in BBC’s cult comedy show Little Britain, created by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, has sealed his cool status.

He’s currently in the middle of filming the new series where he’ll reprise his role playing Prime Minister who’s constantly fending off sexual advances from his aide [David Walliams].

"It’s excellent fun. I find it hard to keep a straight face when we’re shooting, which is part of the excitement. Matt and David are such sweet guys, they’re constantly funny on set.

"We went to this cafe yesterday which was playing really 70s music and of course David Walliams went into dance mode. He was moonwalking and things. It was especially comical because his shoes were squeaking on the floor."

*** True Horror is on Discovery Channel from Wednesday (Nov 17).