Nicholas Brendon Passes On

Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Kevin Lynch on Criminal Minds, died on March 20, 2026, at the age of 54 from natural causes. According to the coroner, Mr. Brendon had a history of cardiac issues.

Nicholas Brendon was born Nicholas Brendon Schultz on April 12, 1971, in Los Angeles. He had an identical twin brother, actor Kelly Donovan. He had wanted to become ba baseball player, but eventually lost interest in playing the sport. He attended Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Starting when he was about seven or eight, Nicholas Brendon stuttered. He took up acting in an effort to control his stutter. 

Nicholas Brendon made his television debut in a guest appearance on Married with Children in 1993. He also guest starred on Dave's World. It was in 1997 that he began playing Xander on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He remained with the show for its entire run. He reprised the role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer video games. He made his movie debut in 1995 in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest. He appeared in the movie Psycho Beach Party (2000).

In the Naughts, Nicholas Brendon continued to appear on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Kitchen Confidential. In 2007, he joined the cast of Criminal Minds as Kevin Lynch. He remained with the show until 2014. He was a regular voice on American Dragon: Jake Long. He guest starred on the shows Turbo Dates; Without a Trace; Robot, Ninja & Gay Guy; and Private Practice. He appeared in the movies Survival Island (2002), Unholy (2007), Blood on the Highway (2008), and The Portal (2010). 

In the Teens, he continued to appear on Criminal Minds. He guest starred on Private Practice, Hollywood Heights, Faking It, and Dark/Web. He appeared in the movies Hard Love (2011), Big Gay Love (2013), Cohenrence (2013), The Morningside Monster (2014), Indigo (2014), Redwood (2017), The Nanny (2018), and King of Crime (2018). In the 2020s, he appeared in the movies Wanton Want (2021), Dawn (2022), On a Dark and Bloody Ground (2024), and Yesterday is Almost Here (2024).

Nicholas Brendon had more than his fair share of health problems. He suffered from cauda equina syndrome and underwent more than one spinal surgery. He also had a congenital heart defect. He also suffered from severe depression, and became addicted to alcohol and other substances. It was perhaps due to his various struggles that he was arrested multiple times.

Chances are good that Nicholas Brendon will always be remembered as Xander on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and to a lesser degree Kevin on Criminal Minds. Indeed, Xander was perhaps the first time a pop culture geek was portrayed accurately. He was not some socially awkward nerd with Coke bottle glasses, but a decent looking fellow who was actually cool.. He was a sharp contrast to the sort of stereotypes one saw in the Revenge of the Nerds movies and the TV show Big Bang Theory. Nicholas Brendon played the role perfectly. Of course, he also played Kevin on Criminal Minds perfectly. Nicholas Brendon had a good deal of talent.