Sarah Michelle Gellar has paid tribute to her former Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star Nicholas Brendon.
According to a statement shared to Instagram by his family on Friday (20 Mar), Brendon 'passed in his sleep of natural causes', aged 54.
The actor, who played Xander Harris in the 90s supernatural hit series, from 1997 to 2003, was praised in the caption for his 'enthusiastic talent', which also applied to art and painting.
"Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years," it continued. "In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans."
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Describing him as 'passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create', the family went on to say: "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.
"Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support."
A version of the message that was later amended originally went on to say: "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."
Though the nature of said 'diagnosis' currently remains unclear, the Los Angeles star had previously discussed several health issues in the public sphere.
Not only did Brendon battle a congenital heart defect and substance addiction issues, but he also endured a fall that resulted in a cauda equina syndrome diagnosis, which affected the condition of his spine.
Following the news of his death, 48-year-old Gellar also took to social media, where she shared a 1998 snap of herself and Brendon together.
The New York actress began by quoting one of Xander's most famous lines.
"'They’ll never know how tough it is to be the one who isn’t chosen. To live so near to the spotlight, and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realises, because nobody’s watching me'," she wrote.
Adding a message of her own, Gellar continued: "I saw you Nicky. I know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky."
Brendon's character was the beloved sidekick to Gellar's titular lead, Buffy Summers, and one of her handful of 'Scoobies'.
In the series, Buffy learns she is part of a succession of women known as 'Vampire Slayers', who are chosen by fate to fight dark forces.
Despite being desperate to live a 'normal' life as a California teen, with the help of Xander and her other loyal friends, she embraced her destiny and battled against demons that terrorise Sunnydale, which just so happens to be a portal 'between this reality and the next'.
Topics: Celebrity, TV And Film, US News
Rhianna Benson