Nicholas Brendon, an actor best known for his role as a loveable underdog sidekick on the hit television series 鈥淏uffy the Vampire Slayer,鈥� has died. He was 54.
Brendon’s family announced the death in a statement posted on his accounts Friday. They said he died in his sleep of natural causes, but did not say where or when it happened.
Brandon played Xander Harris, a close friend of lead character Buffy, on 鈥淏uffy the Vampire Slayer鈥� that ran from 1997 to 2003. The supernatural series, which started on the WB network and then moved to UPN, was about vampire slayers, led by the teenager Buffy, who battled a wide range of demons, werewolves and other dark forces while also navigating life in high school.
鈥淏uffy the Vampire Slayer,鈥� based on the movie of the same name, never received many awards, but it has been cited by many critics as being one of the most influential shows in TV history.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Buffy on the show, posted a photo of herself with Brendon on Instagram on Saturday.
鈥淚 saw you Nicky,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚 know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky.鈥�
Brendon also appeared on the TV show 鈥淐riminal Minds” between 2007 and 2014 and alongside Bradley Cooper in the Fox sitcom 鈥淜itchen Confidential,鈥� an adaptation of Anthony Bourdain鈥檚 memoir, that aired for just one season in 2005.
Brendon was in the films 鈥淩edwood鈥� in 2017, 鈥淭he Nanny鈥� in 2018 and 鈥淐hristmas Slasher” in 2024.
Brendon also wrote several issues of the Buffy comic book series.
While Brendon was best known as an actor, his family said in their statement that in recent years he found his passion in painting and art.
鈥淗e was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淭hose who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.鈥�
Brendon announced in 2023 that he had suffered a heart attack. He also underwent two spinal surgeries for a rare nerve compression condition called cauda equina syndrome that can lead to pain and weakness in the lower body.
Brendon also openly talked about his battle with depression and appeared on two 2015 episodes of 鈥淒r. Phil鈥� to discuss his struggles with alcohol and mental health and a string of arrests for , and .
His family said that while Brendon 鈥渉ad struggled in the past,鈥� he was on medication and treatment to manage his diagnosis and was 鈥渙ptimistic about the future.鈥�
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