Nicholas Brendon, star of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, dies aged 54
Actor Nicholas Brendon, best known for his role as Xander Harris on the popular horror television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 54.
The news was confirmed by Brendon’s family on social media in a post that said he was “passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create.”
They continued, “Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was,” adding that he found his passion in recent years in painting. Although they didn’t confirm a specific cause of death, they said that he died in his sleep “of natural causes”.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Brendon played Harris in Buffy the Vampire Slayer across all seasons, from its launch in 1997 until 2003. An integral part of the Scooby Gang, with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s titular character, Harris was a devoted sidekick assisting in protecting the world against evil.
Brendon also appeared in a handful of popular shows, including Criminal Minds and Private Practice, as well as acquiring several film credits, such as Psycho Beach Party and Big Gay Love.
Brendon suffered from cauda equina syndrome, a condition that affects the spinal cord nerves, and underwent surgery following a fall in 2021. He underwent a second surgery two months later after experiencing paralysis, before suffering a heart attack in 2022 and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
Brendon also suffered from addiction and mental health struggles, which he has addressed in the past, including how he benefited from treatments such as therapy. He also had a stutter and later became a spokesperson for the Stuttering Foundation of America.
Following his passing, his co-star, Alyson Hannigan, shared a tribute on social media: “My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers,” she wrote. “I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP.”
This comes after the recent cancellation of Chloé Zhao’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, which was initially announced by Gellar on social media in a post that saw her claiming that “Hulu has decided not to move forward with Buffy New Sunnydale.”
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