--- name: "Nicholas Brendon" canonical: "https://film.one/person/nicholas-brendon" fi1m_id: "nicholas-brendon" imdb_id: "nm0107183" tmdb_id: 71675 wikidata_id: "Q434778" roles: ["Actor"] born: "12 April 1971" died: "20 March 2026" reviewed_on_fi1m: 1 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-09-17T21:42:02.068247+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Nicholas Brendon ## Identity Nicholas Brendon - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/nicholas-brendon - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** nicholas-brendon - **IMDb ID:** nm0107183 - **TMDB ID:** 71675 - **Wikidata ID:** Q434778 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Brendon, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q434778, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0107183/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/71675 Actor. Born 12 April 1971 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 20 March 2026. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 12 April 1971, Los Angeles, California, USA - **Died:** 20 March 2026 - **Also known as:** Nicholas Brendon Schultz - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Brendon, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q434778, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0107183/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/71675 ## Streaming the US now - **Disney+:** [*Buffy the Vampire Slayer*](https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md) (80) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Nicholas Brendon > Nicholas Brendon makes a joke sound like an attempt to keep his place among friends. As Xander in *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, he is funny, insecure and sometimes wearing; we value the performance for allowing all three. Xander Harris can make a conversation more awkward by trying to make it funny. In *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997), Nicholas Brendon plays the friend without supernatural powers, relying on wit and loyalty to remain useful. We value the performance because Brendon lets this loyal friend be difficult company. He keeps Xander’s wish to help believable even when we would rather he stopped talking. We laughed, then grew impatient with him, because the wisecracks do not quite conceal how insecure he is. That works best among actors who give him something to react against. Sarah Michelle Gellar allows Buffy to be irritated, while Alyson Hannigan gives Willow Rosenberg a hesitant delivery that exposes worry beneath the humour. Brendon’s more insistent joking makes those differences useful: their conversations have room for embarrassment rather than requiring everyone to be equally quick. Charisma Carpenter’s sharpness as Cordelia Chase helps too. The pleasure lies in watching people who do not always make one another comfortable. Seven seasons of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, from 1997 to 2003, made Xander the defining role, and our view of Brendon still rests chiefly on it. *Psycho Beach Party* (2000), in which he played Starcat, brought an early substantial film part alongside that television work. Recurring television parts followed, including Kevin Lynch in *Criminal Minds* from 2007 to 2014. The leading role of Mike in *Coherence* (2013) takes him into independent science fiction, a useful place to look beyond the familiar television ensemble. There is a limit to our patience with Xander. His hostility towards the programme’s female characters makes it harder to enjoy some of the humour; comic timing cannot make every remark harmless. Brendon is more convincing when wit and loyalty are enough to establish his place in the group, without the performance having to excuse him. The episode *The Zeppo* (1999) offers a concentrated example of his ability to convey quiet heroism without supernatural power. Start with *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* for the company, but do not expect to find Xander charming every time he speaks. ## Biography Nicholas Brendon, also credited as Nicholas Brendon Schultz, was an American actor. He was born in Los Angeles on 12 April 1971 and died on 20 March 2026. Brendon played Xander Harris in the television series *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997–2003), appearing in 143 of its 144 episodes. He later had recurring roles as Kevin Lynch in *Criminal Minds* (2007–2014) and appeared in films including *Psycho Beach Party* (2000) and *Coherence* (2014). He began acting in his mid-twenties after earlier aspirations in baseball and work as a production assistant. Brendon served as a spokesperson for the Stuttering Foundation of America. *Sources: nytimes.com, theguardian.com, apnews.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (1) - *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997), Fi1m 80, as Xander Harris — [page](https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md) ## Complete filmography (34) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Yesterday is Almost Here* (2025), as Douglas Wynter - *On a Dark and Bloody Ground* (2024), as Phillip - *Christmas Slasher* (2023), as Mr. Gregory · Producer - *Dawn* (2022), as Man at Gas Station - *Wanton Want* (2021), as Douglas Paynter - *Dark/Web* (2019), series, as Donavan - *King of Crime* (2018), as Brad Walsh - *The Nanny* (2018), as David - *Redwood* (2017), as Vincent - *Faking It* (2014), series, as Hester Art Alumnus, Jackson Lee - *Coherence* (2014), as Mike - *The Morningside Monster* (2014), as Mark Matthews - *Indigo* (2013), as Gary - *Big Gay Love* (2013), as Andy - *The Inspector Chronicles* (2012), as Chief Engineer Britman - *Hard Love* (2011), as Rich - *The Portal* (2010), as Paul - *A Golden Christmas* (2009), as Michael - *My Neighbor's Secret* (2009), as Brent - *Buffy the Animated Series* (2008), series, as Xander Harris - *Blood on the Highway* (2008), as Chase Sinclair - *Private Practice* (2007), series, as Lee McHenry - *Unholy* (2007), as Lucas · Producer - *Fire Serpent* (2007), as Jake Relm - *Relative Chaos* (2006), as Gil Gilbert - *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, as Kevin Lynch — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md) - *Kitchen Confidential* (2005), series, as Seth Richman - *Celeste in the City* (2004), as Dana Blodgett / Harrison - *Without a Trace* (2002), series, as Edgar - *Survival Island* (2002), as Kyle · Associate Producer - *Psycho Beach Party* (2000), as Starcat - *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997), series, as Xander Harris — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md) - *Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest* (1995), as Basketball Player One - *Dave's World* (1993), series, Actor ## Gallery - ![Actor Nicholas Brendon at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan, October 2, 2010. Photo by Luigi Novi. This photo may be used, modified and published for any pu](https://film.one/media/person/62490/gallery-7e521161ad71.jpg) Actor Nicholas Brendon at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan, October 2, 2010. Photo by Luigi Novi. This photo may be used, modified and published for any pu — Nightscream, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/10.2.10NicholasBrendonByLuigiNovi.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Nicholas Brendon](https://film.one/media/person/62490/gallery-a4664d807807.jpg) Nicholas Brendon — Nightscream, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/10.2.10NicholasBrendonByLuigiNovi_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![English actor Anthony Stewart Head and american actor Nicholas Brendon at the Oakland Super SlayerCon. (2004)](https://film.one/media/person/62490/gallery-ab52f1c242e2.jpg) English actor Anthony Stewart Head and american actor Nicholas Brendon at the Oakland Super SlayerCon. (2004) — Flickr user RavenU, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Anthony_Stewart_Head_and_Nicholas_Brendon_Aug_2004.jpg/1280px-Anthony_Stewart_Head_and_Nicholas_Brendon_Aug_2004.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Nicholas Brendon (2017)](https://film.one/media/person/62490/gallery-4a1c1bf9be80.jpg) Nicholas Brendon (2017) — Florida Supercon from Ft. Lauderdale, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Nicholas_Brendon_%2833951670431%29.jpg/1280px-Nicholas_Brendon_%2833951670431%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Nicholas Brendon](https://film.one/media/person/62490/gallery-91a88c54144f.jpg) Nicholas Brendon — Image via TMDB - ![Nicholas Brendon](https://film.one/media/person/62490/gallery-f4f82ad3ce92.jpg) Nicholas Brendon — Image via TMDB - ![Nicholas Brendon (2017)](https://film.one/media/person/62490/gallery-3acec038700d.jpg) Nicholas Brendon (2017) — Florida Supercon from Ft. Lauderdale, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Nicholas_Brendon_%2833951670921%29.jpg/1280px-Nicholas_Brendon_%2833951670921%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/nicholas-brendon