Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz paid tribute to their Buffy the Vampire Slayer costar Nicholas Brendon hours after news broke of his death
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"We don't always get to choose how long someone stays in the story, only that they were here," Boreanaz wrote
Brendon, who played Xander in the fantasy drama, died "in his sleep of natural causes" at age 54, his family shared on March 20
Nicholas Brendon'sBuffycostars are remembering the late actor.
Hours after the news broke on Friday, March 20, that theBuffy the Vampire Slayeralumdied in his sleepat age 54,Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan andDavid Boreanazmourned his death with heartbreaking social media posts.
" 'They'll never know how tough it is to be the one who isn't chosen,' " Gellar, 48, wrote onInstagram, quoting Brendon's character in the show, Xander, alongside a throwback photo of them together. " 'To live so near to the spotlight, and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes, because nobody's watching me.' "
"I saw you Nicky," she added. "I know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky."
Boreanaz, 56, who played Angel in the fantasy-drama series before going on to star in its 1999 spinoff series, also shared athrowback photoof him and Brendon with their arms around each other.
"There are people you work with and then there are people you share time with," he began in the caption. "Nick was the latter. Some moments stay small on paper, a laugh between takes, a look that says we got this, the quiet understanding of showing up and doing the work together. But those are the things that last."
"He carried something real, not perfect, not polished, just real," he continued. "And in this business, that matters more than most things. We don't always get to choose how long someone stays in the story, only that they were here. And he was …Rest easy Brother. Some people leave a mark without trying."
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Hannigan, 51, who played Willow, also shared a tribute on Instagram featuring a photo of their characters sitting on the ground in an emotional embrace.
"My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers," she wrote. "I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP."
Brendon's family shared the tragic news that the actor had "passed in his sleep of natural causes" in anInstagramstatement, noting that it was "no secret that Nicholas had struggles" in the years before his death.
"Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years," they wrote. "Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive and endlessly driven to create."
In the years afterBuffy, Brendon spoke out about struggling with depression and addictions, havingchecked into rehab between multiple arrests, including for domestic violence charges and prescription fraud.
"Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was," his family continued. "While it's no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications andtreatment to manage his diagnosisand he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing. 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."
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