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 . He also starred 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.'
During the clip, Nicholas answered questions and read out messages from devoted fans.
One admirer told the late star that he 'still looks good', while another gushed: 'You are iconic. We love you, Nick. I crush on you for years.'
A third added: '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)
Clearly touched, Nicholas replied: '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
