‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ star turned 54
Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander Harris in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and Kevin Lynch in “Criminal Minds,” died in his sleep on Friday, according to a statement from his family. He was 54.
The statement from his family read: “We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed away in his sleep from natural causes. Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years, Nicky found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved sharing his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the most important things he did. The purest reflection of who he was. While it is no secret that Nicholas had problems in the past, he was taking medication and treatment to manage his diagnosis and was optimistic about the future at the time of his death. Our family requests privacy during this time as we mourn his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination and heart.
As Xander, one of Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) best friends, and a loyal member of her Scooby Gang, Brendon captured the hearts of the show’s fans with his loyalty and sarcastic quips as they battled the forces of darkness throughout their young adulthood. While his star was rising during ‘Buffy’, Brendon appeared in films such as ‘Demon Island’, ‘Unholy’ and an adaptation of Charles Busch’s ‘Psycho Beach Party’ with co-stars Amy Adams and Lauren Ambrose.
However, after “Buffy” ended in 2003, Brendon publicly suffered from addiction issues and mental illness, announcing at a fan convention in 2004 that he was going to rehab for alcoholism.
Despite mounting personal problems, he appeared in 21 episodes of ‘Criminal Minds’ as former hacker Kevin Lynch. He was arrested numerous times starting in 2010. He was subsequently arrested twice within two months in February and March 2015, after which he was taken to Dr. Phil show went on, but walked away. Later that year, he was arrested again, in Saratoga Springs, NY, for choking his girlfriend. He was charged with third-degree robbery, criminal mischief and obstruction of breathing, and when he pleaded guilty, he agreed to re-enter rehabilitation. The arrests continued for years: in 2017 – again for assaulting another girlfriend – and in 2021 (on prescription fraud charges), which was a violation of his probation.
Brendon was an occasional social media user and gave semi-regular updates on Facebook and Instagram about his life and health, as well as posting some of his paintings. In 2023 he has posted on Instagram that he had two spinal surgeries and a heart attack in 2022, writing that “dealing with health insurance and pre-approvals feels almost as emotionally draining and painful as dealing with my actual injuries.” In the post, he asked for money from fans and wrote: “While money can’t buy happiness, it can buy food and paint, as well as pay for doctor’s appointments!”
On March 14, Hulu has passed on a revival of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” that the streamer had in the works – it would have featured Gellar returning to the role of Buffy. If it had gone further, the show’s previous stars would have likely appeared, but due to Brendon’s multiple arrests, he was not thought to be one of them. In a Facebook livestream after Hulu passed on the project, Brendon lashed out at Gellar, saying she betrayed him by making a sequel series without him.
Born in Los Angeles as identical twins with his brother Kelly Donovan, he took up acting to overcome his stutter. He was married and divorced twice.
