Sarah Michelle Gellar has paid tribute to her Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star Nicholas Brendon, following his death at the age of 54.
The actor, who played Xavier on the cult vampire series from 1997 to 2004, died in his sleep on Friday, March 20. Just last year, another Buffy star, Michelle Trachtenberg, died at the age of 39 from diabetes complications. At a press conference in Rome promoting Ready or Not 2: Here I Come on Monday, Sarah remembered Nicholas.
Nicholas Brendon played Xavier on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
“It’s a tragedy. It’s a tragedy when you lose anyone at any point,” she began. Sarah added, “It’s a bigger tragedy when you lose someone way sooner than needs to be.”
“This business is very tough,” she continued. We’ve had, I think … it feels like we’ve had more tragedy than other shows, but that’s probably not the case. It just feels that way because it’s personal and it’s in our faces.”
The actress went on to describe Brendon’s role as Xavier in the iconic series. “He was an integral part of Buffy and that never goes away,” she said. “And I think as actors, we talk a lot or think a lot about legacy, and he brought so much joy to so many people on that show, and that lives on.”
In a statement released on Friday, Nicholas’s family said “We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon.” Additionally, they added that the actor died in his sleep of “natural causes.”
The statement acknowledged he had “struggles in the past,” which were “no secret.“ The actor had a long history of addiction and various legal troubles. However, they said Nicholas was “on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis,” and was “optimistic about the future” before his sudden death.
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