An already bad week for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has just taken a turn for the tragic worse. It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of Nicholas Brendon. Brendon rose to popularity by playing the character of Xander Harris, one of Buffy’s closest friends. The news comes on the heels of fans learning the pilot for the Buffy revival was not going forward at Hulu.
It’s a horrendous one-two punch of news. This second hit is far more tragic for obvious reasons. Brendon was one of only a few characters that was there from the beginning to the end of the series as part of the main cast. Xander’s sense of sarcastic humor made him memorable but his lack of any standout powers or abilities made him relatable. Brendon brought a charm and sensibility to the character that made him a favorite of many fans.
“The Zeppo”
Easily, his shining moment came in the third season episode, “The Zeppo.” It’s a mostly comical standalone story where Xander is called out by Cordelia for effectively being worthless. She compares him to Zeppo Marx, basically being the least remarkable of Buffy’s “Scooby Gang.” Despite this, he ends up going on a side-story where he saves the entire world without anyone but him really knowing.
Life After Buffy
Brendon’s career wasn’t relegated entirely to Buffy though. He had some small, isolated film roles as well as a recurring part on Criminal Minds. Sadly, he also made headlines for legal problems and personal issues. He became open about his struggles with substance abuse. These also may have played a role in the various criminal issues he was involved in through the 2010’s. His family did not ignore this when sharing the news of his passing.
They stated: “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. 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.”
PEOPLE Magazine
All of this comes on the heels of last week’s news we shared about the Buffy pilot not being picked up for series at Hulu. Sarah Michelle Gellar was the only previous cast member attached to the project. It was heartbreaking for fans finding out the series wouldn’t move forward. Now we have a reality where even if it did move forward in some way, Brendon won’t be able to be a part of it.
Our hearts go out to his family at this time. Nicholas Brendon was 54.
