LOS ANGELES — Nicholas Brendon, renowned for playing Xander Harris on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has passed away at age 54. His family shared the news through a statement on his official Facebook page.
Brendon died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes. His family remembered him as a man renowned for his acting and the vivid characters he portrayed during his career.
Brendon gained fame playing Harris throughout all seven seasons of the popular series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” He appeared on the WB show alongside main actors Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan.
His film career included a role in the 2000 comedy “Psycho Beach Party,” which featured Lauren Ambrose and Amy Adams. He also starred in the 2002 horror movie “Demon Island.”
The family, in a public Facebook post, asked for space as they process the actor’s death.“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,” the post said. The statement described Brendon as “passionate, sensitive and endlessly driven to create.”
Brendon is the second main cast member from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to pass away in recent years. Actor Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s sister Dawn Summers, died in 2025.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
