Nicholas Brendon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Xander Harris, Dead at 54

Nicholas Brendon, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Criminal Minds, has died. He was 54. Brendon’s family issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter confirming the news. ““We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” it read. “He passed in his sleep of natural causes.”

Born Nicholas Brendon Schultz in 1971, Brendon is an identical twin. (His brother, Kelly Donovan, appears in one episode of Buffy.) Brendon took up acting as a way to overcome his stutter. During Buffy’s heyday, Brendon was the spokesperson for Stuttering Foundation of America. As Xander Harris, Brendon helped usher in geek chic of the ‘90s. He joined the cast of Buffy in 1997 and stayed on the show through its finale. Through those seven seasons, Xander dated multiple demons, lost an eye, got a couple doppelgängers and magically learned (and lost) vast knowledge of the U.S. military.

Aside from Buffy, Brendon’s other biggest role was on Criminal Minds as Kevin Lynch, recurring love interest for Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness). Other prominent roles include the TV adaptation of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential opposite a young Bradley Cooper and Psycho Beach Party, the film adaptation of drag dramaturg Charles Busch’s play of the same name.

In recent years, Brendon had multiple encounters with law enforcement and publicly battled addiction. He was arrested at multiple conventions, as well as for choking his then-girlfriend in 2015. Brendon pleaded guilty for criminal mischief. “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,” his family’s statement reads. “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. Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.”