Nicholas Brendon, the actor best known for playing Xander Harris on the cult television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has died at 54, his family announced Friday.
“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” the family said in a Facebook post. “He passed in his sleep of natural causes.”
Brendon rose to fame portraying Xander Harris on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” which aired from 1997 to 2003.
“Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years,” the family wrote, referring to him by his nickname. In recent years, they said, Brendon developed a passion for painting and visual art, which he often shared with family, friends and fans.
“He was passionate, sensitive and endlessly driven to create,” the statement said. “Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.”
In a separate statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, the family said Brendon had been living with a congenital heart defect and had been receiving treatment.
“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,” said The Hollywood Reporter statement. “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.”
Beyond his television work, Brendon appeared in films including “Psycho Beach Party,” “Celeste in the City.”
According to his IMDb biography, Brendon also served as a spokesperson for the Stuttering Foundation of America.
