Nicholas Brendon, the actor best known for playing Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 54.
His family said that he passed away in his sleep from natural causes on Friday.
“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” they said in a statement first shared with The Hollywood Reporter.
“While it’s no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing.”
Brendon had previously revealed that he had suffered a heart attack in 2023 and had been subsequently diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
He had also been open about struggles with substance abuse and mental health, which at times led to legal troubles throughout his life.
He was arrested multiple times beginning in 2010, including incidents involving domestic disputes. In 2015, he was arrested twice within two months and later appeared on Dr. Phil to discuss his struggles with addiction before walking off the show.
Later that year, he was arrested in New York on charges including robbery and criminal mischief, and pleaded guilty as part of a deal that included rehabilitation.
Further arrests followed, including a 2017 assault case and a 2021 prescription fraud charge that violated his probation.
Despite this, his family said he had spent his final years on a more positive path.
“Nicky has [sic] found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans,” they said.
“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create.”
Brendon initially set his sights on a career in professional baseball before turning to acting to help manage a stutter, something he later spoke about publicly while supporting the Stuttering Foundation of America.
He became a cult favorite for his role as Buffy Summers’ loyal and wisecracking best friend across all seven seasons of the hit supernatural drama, which ran from 1997 to 2003.
While talk of reviving the show had circulated in recent years, reports suggested that Brendon was unlikely to be involved given his past legal issues.
He criticized former co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar in a 2018 Facebook livestream, saying he felt “betrayed” by the prospect of a sequel moving ahead without him.
A planned revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer at Hulu was recently scrapped, though Brendon had not publicly commented on the project.
Beyond Buffy, he appeared in a string of television roles, including a recurring stint on Criminal Minds, as well as appearances in Kitchen Confidential and Private Practice.
He also starred in the 2000 cult film Psycho Beach Party alongside Amy Adams and Lauren Ambrose.
He is survived by his identical twin brother, Kelly Donovan, who appeared alongside him in two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
