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Actor Nicholas Brendon, best known as Xander Harris on popular 90s teen drama \u201cBuffy the Vampire Slayer,\u201d has died at age 54.<\/p>\n
Brendon died of natural causes on Friday evening, according to a statement from his family to The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed in his sleep of natural causes. Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years,\u201d the family said before noting that Brendon was not only an actor, but a painter and artist.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile it\u2019s 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,\u201d the family added, requesting privacy as they mourn Brendon\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n Prior to his breakout role in \u201cBuffy the Vampire Slayer,\u201d Brendon appeared in episodes of \u201cMarried\u2026 with Children\u201d and \u201cDave\u2019s World.\u201d After playing Xander Harris in 143 episodes of \u201cBuffy,\u201d he continued acting in TV shows such as \u201cKitchen Confidential,\u201d \u201cPrivate Practice,\u201d and in films like \u201cCoherence.\u201d He also served as a TV and film producer.<\/p>\n According to IMDb, Brendon has two upcoming projects that are in post-production.<\/p>\n Brendon\u2019s \u201cBuffy\u201d co-stars responded to his death on social media.<\/p>\n Emma Caulfield also expressed her grief in an Instagram Story, sharing a clip from the musical episode of \u201cBuffy\u201d: \u201cI love you, Nicky. Let this clip of us giving it our best be a placeholder. Rest Nicky. Rest.\u201d<\/p>\n Brendon suffered a heart attack in 2022, later revealing that he had been diagnosed with a congenital heart condition that caused tachycardia, or abnormally fast heart rate. The TV star also battled mental illness and substance abuse issues, and had multiple run-ins with the law.<\/p>\n Brendon entered rehab for the second time in 2010 after \u201cbeing tasered by police and charged with vandalism, resisting arrest and battery against a police officer. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to probation and community service,\u201d according to People<\/a>.<\/p>\n He was arrested multiple times over the following years \u2014 twice for allegedly attacking his girlfriend \u2014 and entered several recovery programs. He was sentenced<\/a> in 2020 to three years\u2019 probation for one of the attacks, and given 20 hours of community service. Brendon had further run-ins with the law in the years that followed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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