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Nicholas Brendon, the actor known for playing Xander Harris in all seven seasons of the popular Sarah Michelle Gellar-led TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, died, his family announced on March 20, 2026. He was 54. In the years before his death, Brendon had suffered from multiple health issues, including a congenital heart defect and cauda equina syndrome.
“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” Brendon’s family wrote in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. “Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was 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.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Below, learn what Brendon’s cause of death was and more about his final years.
How Old Was Nicholas Brendon When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Actor Died?
As previously noted, Brendon was 54 when he died less than a month shy of his 55th birthday. He was born on April 12, 1971.
How Did Nicholas Brendon Die? His Cause of Death
Brendon died in his sleep “of natural causes,” according to his family.
Nicholas Brendon’s Health Issues: Heart Defect, Cauda Equina Syndrome & More
Brendon’s family noted in their statement that it was “no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past,” the late Criminal Minds alum was “on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis, and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing.”
In August 2022, Brendon was hospitalized after suffering from a cardiac-related incident, and he was diagnosed with tachycardia: a congenital heart defect that causes the heart to beat abnormally fast.
Brendon also lived with a condition called cauda equina syndrome (CES), which led to multiple spinal surgeries in his final years. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, CES happens when there is a “dysfunction of multiple lumbar and sacral nerve roots” of the cauda equina — a collection of nerves at the end of the spinal cord.
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