Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander Harris on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and Kevin Lynch on “Criminal Minds,” died Friday in his sleep, his family announced. He was 54 years old.
A statement from the family said: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of our brother and son Nicholas Brendon. He passed away in his sleep of 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, Nicky has been involved in painting and painting. “Nicky was passionate about his art. He loved to share his enthusiasm with his family, friends, and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and relentlessly creative. Those who truly knew him knew that his art was one of the world’s best.” It’s no secret that Nicholas had a troubled past, but at the time of his death he was optimistic about the future. We ask for privacy as we mourn his passing and celebrate the life of a man who lived with passion, imagination and heart. ”
As Xander, one of Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) best friends and a stalwart member of her Scooby gang, Brendon won the hearts of fans of the show with his loyalty and sarcastic cynicism as he battled dark forces throughout his youth. Brendon, who rose to stardom with Buffy, went on to appear in films such as Demon Island, The Unholy, and an adaptation of Charles Bush’s Psycho Beach Party with co-stars Amy Adams and Lauren Ambrose.
However, after Buffy ended in 2003, Brendon publicly struggled with addiction issues and mental illness, and announced at a 2004 fan convention that he was entering rehab for alcoholism.
Despite his growing personal problems, he appeared in 21 episodes of Criminal Minds as former hacker Kevin Lynch. He was arrested multiple times starting in 2010 and then twice within two months of 2015, in February and March, after which he appeared on the Dr. Phil show but left. Later that year, he was arrested again in Saratoga Springs, New York, for strangling his girlfriend. He was charged with third-degree robbery, criminal mischief, and felony breathing obstruction, and agreed to undergo rehabilitation again upon pleading guilty. Arrests continued for years. In 2017, he was arrested again on suspicion of assaulting another girlfriend, and in 2021, he was arrested on suspicion of violating his probation and allegedly committing prescription fraud.
Brendon was an occasional user of social media, posting semi-regular updates about his life and health on Facebook and Instagram, as well as posting paintings. In 2023, he posted on Instagram that he had undergone two spinal surgeries and a heart attack in 2022, writing, “Dealing with health insurance and pre-authorization feels just as mentally exhausting and painful as dealing with an actual injury.” In the post, he asked fans for funds, writing, “Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy food, paint, and doctor’s bills!”
On March 14, Hulu canceled a revival of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” that the streamer was producing, and Geller was scheduled to return to the role of Buffy. If the show had gone ahead, it is likely that some of the show’s previous stars would have appeared, but Brendon was not thought to be among them due to his numerous arrests. In a Facebook livestream after Hulu handed over the project, Brendon slammed Geller, saying he betrayed Geller by making a sequel series without him.
Born in Los Angeles as an identical twin with his older brother Kelly Donovan, he took up acting to overcome his stutter. He was married and divorced twice.
