CBC News

· Posted: Mar 20, 2026 11:44 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Actor Nicholas Brendon, who co-starred as Xander Harris on TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at 54.

A statement on his official Instagram page on Friday said Brendon died in his sleep of natural causes.

"Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to live over the years. In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art," it read.

"He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was."

Brendon starred on Buffy as Xander Harris, the nerdy and awkward friend of the slayer who helped her fight vampires and other supernatural elements. (Online USA/Getty Images)

Buffy, a teen drama about a group of friends in the fictional California town of Sunnydale who help the titular slayer fight vampires and other supernatural forces — broke the mould for traditional television.

Brendon played Xander Harris, Buffy's awkward and sarcastic friend, for the show's entire run from 1997 to 2003.

Buffy co-stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Emma Caulfield and David Boreanaz all paid tribute to the late artist.

On Instagram, Gellar quoted a scene between Brendon's Xander and Dawn, the character portrayed by the late Michelle Trachtenberg.

"'They'll never know how tough it is to be the one who isn’t chosen. To live so near to the spotlight, and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes, because nobody's watching me,'" Gellar quoted from the Season 7 scene.

"I saw you Nicky. I know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky," her post said.

Hannigan, who played Xander's best friend, Willow Rosenberg, remembered Brendon as "My sweet Nicky."

Brendon also starred as Kevin Lynch, a technical analyst for the FBI, on Criminal Minds from 2007 to 2014. Brendon's other roles include several episodes of Private Practice, as well as the short-lived Bradley Cooper series Kitchen Confidential, based on Anthony Bourdain's bestseller.

Brendon spoke publicly about his struggles with addiction and mental health issues. In the years since Buffy ended in 2003, he was arrested multiple times, including at least twice after attacking partners.

A reboot of Buffy for U.S. streamer Hulu had been in the works, with Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao attached to direct. However, Gellar announced earlier this week that it would not be moving forward.