Nicholas Brendon, celebrated for his role in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” fondly reminisced about his memorable character in what would become his final heartfelt video, engaging with fans’ comments before his untimely passing.
The actor, who died at 54 on Friday, gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Xander Harris alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar in the popular series. He also appeared as Kevin Lynch in “Criminal Minds.”
His poignant last video, posted around a year before his death, featured a recording of an Instagram Live captioned: ‘Candle time with Nicky.’
In the video segment, Nicholas took the time to address questions and heartfelt messages from his dedicated fan base.
One fan remarked on his enduring appeal, saying he “still looks good,” while another expressed admiration, stating, “You are iconic. We love you, Nick. I have crushed on you for years.”
Another supporter simply shared, “I love listening to you.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon looked back on his iconic role as he read and responded to comments from fans in a touching final video before his death
The actor, who passed away aged 54 on Friday, was best known for playing Xander Harris in the hit television series alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar (Pictured in 1997 portrait, from left to right: David Boreanaz, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon)
Moved by these affectionate words, Nicholas responded warmly, “Well, that’s a nice one, that’s actually a really sweet thing to say. Wow – Thank you.”
The heartwarming footage showed Nicholas relaxing on his sofa at home, with a cosy fire and candle glowing in the background.
Nicholas’ family released a heartbreaking tribute following his death on Friday.
‘We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed in his sleep of natural causes,’ they said in a statement shared on his account on Friday.
Four of Nicholas’s family members were seen posing with him in a group photo that they shared alongside their statement.
His family praised him for his passion for art and his ‘enthusiastic talent’ as they shared photos of him acting as well as some of his paintings.
‘Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years,’ the statement read.
‘In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art,’ it continued. ‘Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans.’
‘We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed in his sleep of natural causes,’ his loved ones said in an statement on Friday, sharing a family photo
His family praised him for his passion for art and his ‘enthusiastic talent’ as they shared photos of him acting as well as some of his paintings
His family described the multi-hyphenate artist as ‘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.’
‘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,’ his family members concluded in their joint statement.
‘Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.’
The statement shared by the late actor’s family was edited, but an earlier version published just hours earlier suggested that Nicholas was going through treatment for an unspecified diagnosis at the time of his death.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, his family previously wrote: ‘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.’
In 2022, the actor previously revealed that he had suffered a heart attack and was subsequently diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
He previously opened up about his addiction struggles, explaining that also played a role in his ongoing health battles, including cauda equina syndrome.
Following a serious fall he had in February 2021, according to the Los Angeles Times, he suffered from cauda equina syndrome — the compression of a collection of nerve roots located at the bottom of the spinal cord, per the Cleveland Clinic — and was required to undergo multiple corrective spinal surgeries over the years.
Late last year, Nicholas also underwent ‘knee surgery,’ according to his Facebook post in November 2025.
He played the lovable sidekick to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character Buffy Summers; Pictured in October 1998
Brendon appeared in all seven seasons of the hit TV series, which aired from 1997 to 2003; Pictured in 1998 still, from left to right: Gellar, Charisma Carpenter, Brendon, Alyson Hannigan and Seth Green
In Buffy, Nicholas played the lovable sidekick to Gellar’s titular character, and together, they appeared in all seven seasons of the hit supernatural drama series, which aired from 1997 to 2003.
He also played recurring roles on Criminal Minds as well as in Kitchen Confidential, a sitcom starring Bradley Cooper and based on Anthony Bourdain’s same-name memoir aired on Fox for only one season.
In addition to his major television roles, he starred in the 2000 film adaptation of Charles Busch’s Psycho Beach Party alongside Lauren Ambrose and Amy Adams.
He also starred in the 2002 thriller Demon Island, the 2007 horror film Unholy and the 2013 sci-fi flick Coherence.
Following his time on Buffy, Nicholas’s struggles with substance abuse and mental health became public, resulting in a string of arrests including prescription fraud.
Starting in 2010, he was charged with offenses ranging between felony vandalism, resisting or obstructing officers, criminal mischief and felony corporal injury to a spouse, with the latter ending in a plea deal and three-year probation.
His recovery journey was intertwined with the arrests as he checked into rehab and opened up about his struggles with mental health and addiction over the years.
Shortly after the tragic news was announced, his costar Alyson Hannigan was among the first to pay tribute to Nicholas on social media.
The actress, who played Willow Rosenberg in Buffy, took to Instagram as she remembered some of their fond memories.
‘My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers,’ she wrote alongside a photo of them hugging and crying during an emotional scene.
‘I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP,’ she wrote alongside emojis of a broken heart and a crying expression.
Emma Caulfield, who played Brendon’s love interest in the series, also posted a tribute on her Instagram Story.
‘My heart is heavy. I can’t put into words just yet how this has hit me,’ she wrote about her costar alongside a clip of a scene of them dancing during the famous musical episode from season six.
‘Let this clip of us giving it our all be a place holder,’ she wrote. ‘Rest Nicky. Rest. I love you.’
