Goodbye to the normal Scooby Gang boy
The news came like a punch in the stomach to all of us who grew up with Sunnydale High on TV. Nicholas Brendon, the actor who gave life and so many comic moments to Xander Harris in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, has died. He was 52 years old.
His family confirmed it through a statement released by The Hollywood Reporter. The cause: natural, while he was sleeping.
“In recent years, Nicky found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to enthusiastically share his talent with his family, friends and fans,”
But they did not act distant from reality. The text was clear and honest about his personal struggles.
“While it is no secret that Nicholas had difficulties in the past, he was taking medication and receiving treatment to manage his diagnosis and was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing.”
They asked for space to process their grief, remembering a man who “lived with intensity, imagination and heart.”
Xander’s last message
His last Instagram post, from last October, was deeply symbolic. He shared a text titled “Who am I?”, where he reflected on the character who made him famous.
In it, Brendon defended Xander’s depth, beyond the role of the “dumb” of the group. He wrote that it deserved more layers, and even outlined a continuation of his story after the episode ‘La Manada’.
It seems like a final wink to the fans. A way of saying that he also saw beyond the easy joke.
The reaction on networks was immediate. A wave of painful nostalgia for the 90s, for that series that was a refuge for so many strange teenagers, and for the actor who put a human (and clumsy) touch to a world of monsters.
A key piece of our collective imagination is leaving. Rest in peace, Nicky. And thanks for all the bad jokes in the most tense moments.
