RIP: Nicholas Brendon, Buffy’s ‘Xander’ dies aged 54…

“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed 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 has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create,” his family said in a statement. “Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was. 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. Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart. Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.”

Brendon appeared in all but one episode of Buffy, which ran for seven seasons. There had been talking about a reboot of the series and the possibility of some of the original cast reprising their roles as guest-stars at some point – however New Sunnydale is now not going forward at hulu.

After the original series, Brendon appeared in Kitchen Confidential playing pastry chef Seth Richman. The series also starred Bradley Cooper and Jaime King. He had a recurring role in 21 episodes of Criminal Minds playing Kevin Lynch, the tech-whiz love interest for Kirsten Vangness’s Penelope Garcia. He also appeared on Private Practice, and Faking It.

Films included the comedy Psycho Beach Party alongside Lauren Ambrose. Other films he starred in included Demon Island (2002), Unholy (2007), Blood on the Highway (2008), Big Gay Love (2013), and Coherence (2013) alongside Elizabeth Gracen. His last screen credit was in the 2024 horror movie Christmas Slasher.

Brendon, who had an identical twin (Kelly Donovan, who actually appeared in Buffy  as the other half of Xander’s personality that got split-off in one episode The Replacement) did have addiction issues and had had a very public battle with sobriety, alienating a lot of people in the process, but he seemed to have had a more settled life in recent years and his death is said to have been due to natural causes. Brendon did reveal that in 2023 that he had suffered a heart attack and had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

Brendon’s co-star Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Dawn, passed away in 2025. Several of his surviving Buffy co-stars have reacted to Friday’s news:

“My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers,” Alyson Hannigan (who starred as Xander’s best friend Willow in the show) said in an online posting. “I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP”