Sarah Michelle Gellar shared a throwback photo of herself with Nicholas Brendon after the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” alum passed away at age 54.
On Saturday, the actress who starred as the iconic Buffy Summers on the hit series took to Instagram to bid a heartfelt farewell to the actor who played the beloved Xander Harris.
“‘They’ll never know how hard it is to be the unchosen one,'” Geller began in an Instagram post Saturday, referencing Brendon’s character. “‘Living near the spotlight, never stepping into the spotlight. But I know: I see more than anyone realizes because no one’s looking at me.'”
She added: “I met Nicki and I know she’s at peace in her big rocking chair in the sky.”
Co-star Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow Rosenberg, also posted a heartbreaking message.
“Thank you my sweet Nicki for all the years of laughter, love, and Dodgers,” she captioned a still from season six of the series. “Every time I look at the rocking chair I think of you. I love you. Rest in peace 💔😢”
Caulfield, who played Brendon’s girlfriend Anya on the show, wrote that he was “still speechless” about her story, while David Boreanaz, who played the beloved vampire Angel, reflected on their time together.
“Some people leave their mark without even trying,” the “Bones” alum wrote in part on Instagram.
Brendon starred in the Vampire series from 1997 to 2003, alongside Geller, Hannigan, Caulfield, Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Seth Green, and Anthony Stewart Head.
The actor’s death was announced by his family in a social media statement on Friday.
“We are saddened by the loss of our brother and son Nicholas Brendon,” the statement said. “He passed away in his sleep from natural causes. Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and the characters he brought to life over the years.”
“In recent years, Nikki has developed a passion for painting and art. Nikki loved sharing her enthusiastic talent with her family, friends, and fans.”
“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was the purest reflection of who he was as a person.”
“It is no secret that Nicholas had a difficult past, but he was on medication and treatment to overcome his diagnosis and was optimistic about his future at the time of his death.”
The message concludes by asking the public for privacy as the 90s star’s surviving family “mours his death and honors the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination and heart.”
In 2022, Brendon revealed that he had suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
The actor also battled cauda equina syndrome, for which he underwent multiple spinal surgeries.
In a 2017 interview with The AV Club, Brendon said, “But Buffy the Vampire Slayer felt like a kind of blessed, ordained project.”
“There were so many times when I was on set and in this amazing place and I said, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m on this show,'” he recalled. “It was like a dream.”
But less than a week before his death, Brendon took a swipe at Geller on Facebook Live.
“I don’t think the show should have ended the way it did,” he told fans on March 14.
“Sarah…she worked really hard, but in a way, she messed up the show. She told everyone that she started the series too late and was leaving, and[creator]Joss[Whedon]wasn’t ready for that,” he continued. “Each season you have an arc…It was unfair to the staff, the cast, and the show.”
