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Actor Nicholas Brendon, who co-starred as Xander Harris on TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died, according to a statement from his family posted on social media.
The statement on his Instagram page said Brendon had died in his sleep of natural causes.
Trade publications including The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Variety, all cited a family statement in reporting that Brendon had died Friday at the age of 54.
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.
Alyson Hannigan, who played Xander’s best friend, Willow Rosenberg, paid tribute to Brendon, calling him “My sweet Nicky.”
He 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, the show’s star, Sarah Michelle Gellar, announced earlier this week that it would not be moving forward.
