India, March 21 -- Nicholas Brendon, best known for portraying Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 54. His family told The Hollywood Reporter that he passed in his sleep of natural causes and described him as "passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create."

Brendon's role as Xander Harris over seven seasons of Buffy helped redefine the "nerd" archetype in popular culture. He also appeared in the cult film Psycho Beach Party in 2000 alongside Lauren Ambrose and Amy Adams, and had recurring roles on Criminal Minds as well as the Fox sitcom Kitchen Confidential.

Reflecting on the impact of his role, Brendon told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 that fans often said, "Man, you got me laid a lot in high sc...