Nicholas Brendon, best known for playing lovable underdog Xander Harris in all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, died on Friday. He was 54.

Brendon’s family confirmed his death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, saying, “We are heartbroken to share the departure of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He died of natural causes in his sleep. Most people are familiar with Nicky’s work as an actor and the parts he has played during his career.

In recent years, Nicky has discovered a passion for painting and art. Nicky adored demonstrating his enthusiastic talent to his family, friends, and fans. He was enthusiastic, sensitive, and always inspired to create.

Those who knew him understood that his art was an accurate depiction of who he was. While Nicholas had suffered in the past, he was taking medication and undergoing treatment to control his sickness, and he was optimistic about the future when he died.

Our family respectfully seeks privacy during this difficult time as we grieve his death and celebrate the life of a man who lived with passion, imagination, and empathy. Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.

In 2023, Nicholas Brendon revealed that he suffered a cardiac attack and was diagnosed with a congenital heart ailment. The stars of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ paid tribute. He also had cauda equina syndrome, which necessitated several spinal surgery.

Even though Buffy was unquestionably the zenith of Brendon’s acting career, he continued to appear in films and on television until 2021. During breaks from Buffy, he starred in horror films such as Demon Island and Unholy.

He appeared in the Sundance film Psycho Beach Party (2000) with Lauren Ambrose and Amy Adams. It became a cult classic after being based on drag artist Charles Busch’s off-Broadway satire of 1960s beach films.

His other major television credits included a recurring part on Criminal Minds and a one-season Fox sitcom called Kitchen Confidential, which was based on Anthony Bourdain’s memoir of the same name and starred Brendon alongside Bradley Cooper.

Brendon publicly battled substance abuse and mental illness starting in his 30s. He was arrested multiple times beginning in 2010 and charged with felony vandalism, resisting or obstructing officials, criminal mischief, and felony corporal injury to a spouse.

The latter, his most notable, ended in a plea deal that included three years of probation. Throughout his ordeal, he apologised and even appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil to talk about his alcoholism and mental health issues.

Those in Brendon’s sphere were thought to be optimistic about his current view and attitude, feeling that he had finally turned a corner.

Kelly Donovan, Brendon’s identical twin brother, is among those who survive him. They were born three minutes apart, and despite Donovan’s lack of serious acting goals, the two starred together in two episodes of Buffy.

That includes 2000’s “The Replacement,” in which Xander is split into two people: one with all of his excellent qualities (Donovan) and one with all of his defects (Brendon).

Following the initial publication of this story, the family updated the statement on X with a series of photos of Brendon, followed by images of his most recent works.

We are deeply saddened to report the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He died of natural causes in his sleep.

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