Nicholas Brendon, star in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' dies at 54

Nicholas Brendon, champion known for portraying the loyal, wisecracking Xander Harris successful “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” died Friday from earthy causes aft dealing with a congenital bosom defect and different wellness issues successful caller years. He was 54.

His household shared quality of his passing successful a connection posted connected the actor’s societal media accounts. While it’s “no concealed Nicholas had struggles successful the past,” they said, helium was connected medicine to negociate his diagnosis and “optimistic astir the future” astatine the clip of his death.

His siblings and parents asked for privateness arsenic they grieve the nonaccomplishment of “a antheral who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart.”

“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create,” the household stated. “Those who genuinely knew him understood that his creation was 1 of the purest reflections of who helium was.”

Brendon was calved successful Los Angeles successful 1971 and began his acting vocation successful the mid-’90s. He got his large interruption successful 1997 erstwhile helium was formed arsenic Harris successful “Buffy.” Over the show’s seven-season run, Brendon became a cardinal figure, portraying the witty, insecure but dependable “everyman” successful the gang’s battles against the forces of darkness.

He starred successful his archetypal diagnostic film, “Psycho Beach Party,” successful 2000, playing the emotion involvement Starcat successful the indie flick that’s present regarded arsenic a cult classic.

After “Buffy” ended successful 2003, Brendon continued moving successful television, making appearances connected bid specified arsenic “Without a Trace,” “Private Practice,” and “Kitchen Confidential.” He besides played a recurring relation arsenic FBI method expert Kevin Lynch connected “Criminal Minds.”

In 2022, his household shared that helium had been rushed to the infirmary due to the fact that of tachycardia, a information that makes the bosom bushed abnormally fast, and had been diagnosed with a congenital bosom defect that is communal successful twins. Brendon has an identical duplicate member named Kelly Donovan, who appeared arsenic his stand-in and treble successful episodes of “Buffy.”

The “Criminal Minds” prima besides underwent aggregate spinal surgeries to negociate cauda equina syndrome, a uncommon information successful which nervus bundles successful the lumbar oregon sacral spine are compressed oregon not functioning properly. His superior spinal wounded was triggered by a autumn successful 2021, which required exigency country to forestall paralysis, his manager Theresa Fortier said successful a connection astatine the time.

In caller years, helium developed a emotion for coating and the arts and enjoyed sharing his emerging endowment with household and friends, his household said.

Former Times unit writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.