Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor Nicholas Brendon has died at the age of 54 TV

Nicholas Brendon, the actor best known for playing Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died. He was 54 years old.

Brendon’s family issued a statement saying he died on Friday “in his sleep of 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 for drawing and art. “Nicky loved sharing his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans,” his family said.

“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. And those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of his personality.”

Brendon was a regular on Buffy, portraying the titular vampire slayer’s friend and source of comic relief. “Dear Nikki, thank you for the years of laughter, love and quirks,” wrote Alyson Hannigan, who starred as Xander’s best friend Willow Rosenberg on the show, which aired on the WB network in the US. “I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. Rest in peace.”

Emma Caulfield, who played former demon Anya Jenkins — Brendon’s on-and-off recurring love interest on the show — shared a video of the actress to her Instagram Stories in her tribute, along with a broken heart emoji and the caption: “I love you, Nikki.”

Brendon has also appeared in a number of TV shows including Criminal Minds, Private Practice and Secret Kitchen – an adaptation of Anthony Bourdain’s best-selling memoir. Brendon has also worked in several films, including Demon Island and Psycho Beach Party.

Brendon was born in 1971 in Los Angeles. He said acting helped him deal with stuttering, and he later became a spokesman for the Stuttering Foundation of America.

In 2023, Brendon said he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and suffered a heart attack. He also had cauda equina syndrome (CES).

“Although it is no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was taking medication and therapy to manage his diagnosis, and was optimistic about the future at the time of his death,” his family said.