Nicholas Brendon at nickbrendon.com: The official Web site

Interview at America Online

AOLiveMC21: Welcome, Nicholas Brendon! Ready to roll with our first question?

Nicholas Brendon: Let’s roll!

Q: Hey, Nick, I was just wondering, are you planning on doing more movies soon? I loved Psycho Beach Party! ~ Meri
A: I plan on doing them when time allows, but I’m real busy with the show.

Q: Hi, Nicholas! First, congratulations on getting married! Second, one of my favorite episodes was the hyena episode that revolved around Xander’s character ["The Pack," Season 1]. Do you have a favorite script from the show?
A: It would be the episode that’s airing tonight. It’s called Once More, With Feeling. It’s our musical episode, and, like I said, it’s airing tonight.

Q: Hey, Nick, what did you think when Joss told you that he was going to do a musical Buffy and everyone would be singing? By the way, you have a great voice! ~*~Tamara~*~
A: Ah, thank you, Tamara! I was looking forward to the challenge, since I had never sung or danced before professionally. I said, “Bring it on!”

Q: Have you developed strong friendships with the cast over the years? — Surfgrli16
A: Oh, yeah. In fact, we’re like family.

Q: Nicholas, hi! I was wondering if you still get to hang with David Boreanaz now that you guys are on different networks as well as different shows.
A: No, not really. Because of conflicting schedules, we don’t.

Q: Would you ever do another musical after everything you’ve had to go through to do this one?
A: Absolutely!

Q: In the show, you have a crush on Buffy. Is it like that in real life?
A: No, we’re just really good friends. I just got married, and she’s engaged.

Q: Was the musical hard to pull together? Was the cast really singing, or were you all lip-synching?
A: A few of us, when we were shooting it, were really singing. It makes it look more real. A couple were lip-synching, but it’s all their voices that you hear.

Q: How does Sarah act during the filming of the show? — TeenAngel71
A: She was amazing filming this episode.

Q: Is your brother single? LOL. Since you’re taken, I’ll settle for him! — Jaime
A: Yes, he’s very single. LOL.

Q: What do you think of the Tara-Willow story line? Do you support it? (Willow used to be chasing Xander.) Do you think they will stay a couple?
A: I hope so. I think they make an adorable lesbian couple.

Q: Nicholas, please tell us what your holiday wish will be this year.
A: Holiday wish… that it snows in Los Angeles and we have a white Christmas.

Q: Recently, Jonathan has become more of a major player on ‘Buffy’ — at least in a slapstick, more up-front kind of way, whereas he used to always be in the background of a scene in seasons past. Is he the nephew or cousin of one of the producers or something?
A: No — LOL.

Q: Who do you think you are most like? Xander, Spike, Angel, Riley or Giles?
A: Buffy.

Q: Do you like the clothes that they make Xander wear? Does it reflect your own style?
A: I like some of the clothes Xander wears. And no, it doesn’t reflect my style.

Q: What surprises are we to see with your character this season?
A: Things I just can’t say! I can’t divulge that information.
Q: What is the weirdest thing a fan has ever done?
A: Hmmm. Weirdest thing… everyone’s been very respectful, so I’d say there really hasn’t been anything weird, like no one’s come to my house.

Q: Did you think when you first read the script for BVS that it would be this huge?
A: No, I was just really stoked to have a job! I was happy not to be waiting tables. I was just young and naive.

Q: Hey, Nick! I was wondering, do you have any new projects that you are working on?
A: Not right now. I’m busy for the next nine months doing the show. It’s kind of hard to do that with my production schedule.

Q: Are we going to be impressed by your singing voice tonight?
A: I hope so! I mean, my mom liked it. Moms know best.

Q: Do you have any say on what and how your character acts?
A: No. That’s the writers’ job.

Q: Hi, Nick, I am a huge ‘Buffy’ fan from the UK. I loved the episode “The Replacement” with your twin brother in it. Did you enjoy working with him, and have you had any other opportunities to work with him?
A: I had a blast working with Kelly! And we haven’t had any other opportunities to work together, but I’m sure not saying no to it. It’s down the road.

Q: How do you feel about the whole switch to a new network? — Sorraia3:
A: I think it’s been great. I think the network’s done a very professional job. Since we’re shooting in the same place we’ve been shooting the past six years, it hasn’t really changed for us much.

Q: Do like working with the Anya character better than when you were with Cordelia?
A: Well, you know — six of one, half dozen of the other. They’re both great, they’re just completely different.

Q: Nick, I think you’re a wonderful person. Can you tell us if you’ll be getting more screen time than you have been? I was so sad that during Season 4 and 5 you barely got screen time. Xander is my favorite character.
A: Yeah, I’ll be getting a lot more screen time.

Q: Are you a prankster on the ‘Buffy’ set?
A: I’m probably the biggest prankster, but we don’t get much time, since we’re always shooting. We try to stay very professional on the set.

Q: How many hours do you rehearse a week?
A: We don’t rehearse much — pretty much like a half hour for each scene, then we go into shooting.

Q: Nick, have you heard there is a campaign about you? It’s called the Key Guy Campaign, and they all want to see more of you on Buffy. BTW, I used to have a stutter, and your work makes me proud.
A: I wasn’t aware of the campaign. I’m happy that my work is helping with the Stuttering Foundation.

Q: Hi, Nicholas. Just wanted to say that you’re an incredibly good actor and a nice person. I met you back in August at Griffith Park — thanks for taking your time and taking a picture with your fans! I wanted to ask how it was filming for the musical.
A: I had the time of my life. It was fantastic.

Q: How old are you? Where are you from?
A: I am 30, and I’m from the San Fernando Valley.

Q: If you could switch roles with any other character, who would it be?
A: I don’t think anybody. I really dig my role!

Q: Nick, do you like television or movies better? ~ Meri
A: I like both. As long as it’s quality work, I’m not too picky.

Q: What is it like having to work with all those attractive women?
A: It’s not bad!

Q: How long have you been working on ‘Buffy,’ and what did you like about those years?
A: It’s been about five years now. It’s been fantastic. It was my first acting job, and I’ve learned a lot.

Q: Hey, I wanna know if you have an e-mail address, and if so, can I have it?
A: I do not have a computer. I’m still in the Ice Age, apparently.

Q: Nick, what is your favorite song from tonight’s episode? ~ Meri
A: There’s a song called ‘I Have a Theory,’ and the song that me and Emma sing called ‘I’ll Never Tell.’ All the songs are great. Those two kind of pop out for me..

AOLiveMC21: Nicholas Brendon, thanks so much for chatting with us tonight!

Nicholas Brendon: Thank you very much for being patient!

© 2001 America Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

People Magazine

Off the set, Buffy star Nicholas Brendon wages a valiant battle–not with evil vampires, but with stuttering

For the past five seasons, Nicholas Brendon has been known for his sharp one-liners as the demon-hunter Xander Harris on UPN’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In real life, though, snappy repartee has never been easy for the 30-year-old actor. Since childhood, his speech has been marked by the awkward fits and starts of stuttering.

Researchers say heredity may play a role in the communication disorder, which affects more than 3 million Americans, but its precise cause is elusive. Stress can be a trigger, but not everyone who stutters is a nervous person. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that stutterers are anxious or psychologically different,” says Dr. Lisa Scott Trautman, vice president for education of the Stuttering Foundation of America, a nonprofit group that raises money for research and provides information for sufferers. “Another is that people who stutter don’t enjoy talking or don’t know what they want to say.”

Beyond stuttering’s physical manifestations are its emotional repercussions. Growing up in Los Angeles as the son of talent agent Kathy and business consultant Bob, both 53, “I felt somewhat isolated. I didn’t know anyone else who stuttered,” says Brendon, whose identical twin brother Kelly was not afflicted. But today, after years of working to improve his speech, Brendon, who is married to actress Tressa diFiglia Brendon, 30, not only has a thriving acting career but in May became the official spokesman for the Stuttering Foundation. At his Hollywood home, he spoke with correspondent Cynthia Wang about his struggles to overcome the disorder.

I was 7 or 8 when it first started. I don’t know why it came on, if I was a stressed-out kid or what. My theory is that being a twin had a lot to do with it. My brother and I always got the same things at Christmas, and you wanted to be the first one to open the present so you would be surprised. It became the same with talking–the fear of not getting it out first. I started to talk really, really fast, so that didn’t help.

Kids can be really mean about stuttering. I knew that people didn’t really have the patience for it, but my friends were all cool about it. I was always very athletic, so no one cared. But when I went to a new school, finding new friends was a bit harder. My brother Kelly always understood about my stuttering. If I called directory information and couldn’t talk, I’d give him the phone and he would talk for me.

When you stutter, you know the word but you just can’t say it. Something in your brain holds you up. So you say four or five words for the one you can’t say. It breeds frustration and insecurity. You think, “Why do I have these obstacles?”

I took my first speech-therapy class in sixth grade. I had to go to a classroom in a trailer next to my school and do tongue twisters, like “A big black bug bit a big black bear.” But in junior high I got an awesome speech teacher. He was the sweetest guy in the world. He taught me vocal exercises, but what I remember most is his incredibly calming presence. It was great to have someone patient enough to listen to you.

By the time I met my wife three years ago, I had conquered a lot of my fears about talking, and it wasn’t so much about stuttering as falling in love. But in high school, approaching girls and dating was nonexistant. Instead I got into baseball so I didn’t have to talk much. I thought I might play professionally, but at 20 I lost the passion for it. At that time my parents were going through a divorce, and I had pretty much faded out of classes at Pasadena City College and was waiting tables. I thought, “You’ve got to decide what you want to do with your life.” Since I had always been afraid to talk in front of people, I thought acting would be a really big challenge.

I decided to take an acting class, which was really nerve-racking. I would get nervous just getting in the car to drive there, knowing I would have to go onstage. There’s a lot of competition, but the challenge really helped me. You’re afraid to stutter in front of all those people judging you, so my speech improved because I learned to concentrate more. I learned discipline. When I started looking for acting jobs, I never told anyone about my stutter, and I managed to control it during auditions.

I acted for about two years, did a couple of commercials and then quit because I would stutter on a job from time to time, and it was frustrating. It was just a little hesitation in my speech, the kind of thing no one else would notice, but I did. I wound up doing odd jobs for three years–electrician’s assistant, restaurant work. Then at 25 I said, “All right, I’ve had enough.” I went back into acting with a lot of pep talks to myself: “There’s no reason why you can’t do this.” Four months later I was at the right place at the right time, did the best audition I could and was hired for Buffy. I was stoked. I couldn’t believe I’d been hired to be a lead in a real TV show.

Acting isn’t easy, especially when you’re the guy on the show who’s got the jokey one-liners. But on-camera, you want to show off. I get adrenaline, and instead of telling my brain to stutter, it makes me more aware, and then I have fun.

For the first two years I was really hard on myself when I messed up. I wanted to be perfect. Now I enjoy performing. And if it takes seven takes to get a scene right, I just do it. There are still times when I start stuttering while playing Xander, but it hasn’t been an issue on the show. I just have to say to myself, “Uh-oh, Nick, you’re doing it.”

Until recently, I hadn’t spoken about my stuttering in public. But last year on my birthday, some fans started an official Web site for me, and somehow they found out.* The director of the site asked for donations for the Stuttering Foundation. Later the foundation asked if I wanted to be its spokesperson. I wanted to do it for sure.

As a result I’ve read a lot of letters from people thanking me for speaking up, and it takes me back to the time when things were more challenging for me. I hope my story inspires people. In the meantime I’m getting a book of tongue twisters just to stay in practice. I want to go over them off the set because it really does loosen me up. It’s a good way to work out. Especially when you make your money by talking.

Entertainment Weekly
May 2001

Buffy’s Xander tells EW.com about the tumultuous season. Actor Nicholas Brendon says UPN won his heart with a designer watch. By Liane Bonin

As resident wiseacre Xander on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nicholas Brendon spent this season cracking jokes on the sidelines while the rest of the gang cast spells and slaughtered bad guys. But Xander’s lounging days may be over. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) will need all the help she can get to fend off the evil god Glory (Clare Kramer) as this season concludes with a deadly showdown (airing Tues., May 22, 8 p.m, on the WB). EW.com talked to Brendon, 30, about what may be in store for the series as it jumps networks next fall to the UPN.

Xander’s been kinda quiet lately. What’s going on?
He’s really been in the background for the last three years. Last year he was finding himself, and this year he became more of a man. He got a job, got out of the basement, and he’s fallen in love. I don’t know what’ll happen. The only thing I might hope for Xander is that he gets sent to a tropical island for a couple months. That would be cool.

Buffy’s been dealing with death and loss. Has that been tough on the cast?
It’s actually rather interesting. After reading the episode where Buffy’s mother dies, I thought that show was going to be a really heavy set. But it was exactly the opposite. It was a light mood, and people were laughing. It opened up a topic that we wouldn’t have talked about before, because it’s kind of a weird question, like, ”Have you ever dealt with death before?” Because if you ask that, then you become that weird morbid guy. People start saying, ”Yeah, Nick’s real Goth, what’s THAT about?”

How do you feel about ”Buffy” switching to a new network?
We had relationships at the WB, so it’s kind of weird to leave. But we did get a lovely gift basket from UPN with a Cartier watch and Champagne and Beluga caviar. We didn’t get much respect from the WB because they saw the show not as an ensemble, but as Sarah’s show. When we had our 100th episode celebration, they thanked Sarah, and then 10 minutes later they thanked the rest of the cast, too.

What are your plans for the summer?
Well, I’m NOT doing a movie. I like my sanity, and I’m getting married this September, so I’d rather not sit in a trailer for three months during my time off. This summer my fiancée [actress Tressa DiFiglia] and I are going to Europe for five weeks, and for the honeymoon we want to go somewhere tropical.

Are you planning a big Hollywood wedding?
Oh, yeah. We’re getting married September 1, so we’ve got our rings all ready and we’re doing the invitations now. And we’ve got material for the bridesmaids, because we’re going to make them sew their own dresses. And there’s going to be a cover charge. Ten dollars at the door. But seriously, Tressa and I are getting married at her parents’ ranch in Carlsbad. In Style is going to come and take pictures of the ceremony. One of the stipulations is that we don’t want to know they’re there. I want them to wear camouflage, with little hats with real branches coming out of them.

Your real life identical twin, Kelly, appeared with you in an episode of ”Buffy” earlier this year. Any plans to work together again?
If something good comes up, but I don’t want to be the adult equivalent of the Olsen twins. Or maybe we could do a TV movie with the Olsen twins and they could play our romantic interests! It would be very David Lynch-y. I’ll talk to my people and get right on it. Kelly has blond hair right now, so it’s pretty easy to tell us apart. At least Tressa can. Except for that one time when she and Kelly had sex, but she apologized for that.

Is it strange for Kelly that you share the same face but have very different careers?
Everything takes some getting used to, both the good and the bad. ”Buffy” is pretty much my first acting role except for a part on ”Dave’s World,” so I got lucky getting this role when I had no tape or résumé to speak of. So I think I’ve spent the last five years proving that the part was mine. But it’s tough because Kelly’s in between jobs a lot and sometimes he has a rough time paying his rent, and here I am looking like I’m swimming in money.

Xander’s getting an action figure. Have you seen it yet?
I haven’t. I just found out I was the very last action figure they made. I guess it’s because my character is just a normal guy, not a witch or a werewolf or a Watcher. It makes sense, but it still hurt! It’s going to come out in about a month, and I have a feeling they’re going to sell out on day one. There’s going to be a back order, I’m telling you.

W. Reed Moran and medical adviser Stephen A. Shoop, M.D., featured Nicholas in an article about stuttering in 2001.

People.com
May 2001

Reliving his adolescence on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nicholas Brendon has had to contend with all the typical teenage trials, not to mention a few supernatural twists. But the one nightmare he hasn’t had to face was the one that haunted him in real life — stuttering. “As far back as I can remember, it was a challenge,” he says during an interview on the phone from his Hollywood Hills home.

Since 1996, Brendon, now 30, has played Buffy’s wisecracking sidekick Xander. Delivering those witty one-liners is a testament to his perseverance in overcoming his lifelong speech affliction, shared with an estimated 3 million Americans. Though he has improved through practicing tongue-twisters and slowing down his speech, Brendon admits he still struggles. “I work on it,” he explains. “I had to retrain my brain.”

Working with other sufferers

That’s why Brendon is the Stuttering Foundation of America’s 2001 honorary chairperson. “It was something that I feel very, very close to,” he says. “It’s been very rewarding.” According to Jane Fraser, president of the Memphis-based foundation, founded in 1947, Brendon’s involvement with the educational and informational organization has really helped it reach out to younger sufferers. “Nick is the first person we’ve had that really appeals to the school-age kids, so this is just opening up a whole world for us,” she says. (Past spokespeople have included broadcast journalist John Stossel and Annie Glenn, wife of astronaut John Glenn.)

Though Brendon has a slew of adoring Web sites devoted to him, when he was younger he couldn’t have felt less like a teen dream. “Approaching girls and dating was non-existent,” he says. Playing baseball was his salvation. “I think that was something to do so I wouldn’t have to talk to people,” Brendon says. “I was alone a lot doing it in my backyard.” Interestingly — though not unusually — Brendon’s identical twin brother, Kelly, who is three minutes older, did not share his problem. The twins also have two younger brothers, Christian, 18, and Kyle, 17.

Started acting to stop stuttering

Brendon first pursued acting when he was 20 years old and decided to take an acting class to help his speech. His mother, Kathy, a talent agent (father Bob is a car dealer) encouraged him. “I was talking to God, and [acting] seemed like the most terrifying thing in the world,” Brendon explains. “And the answer was, ‘Well, then, do it.’ ” But it wasn’t so simple. Though he scored a few commercials, Brendon found that his self-imposed pressure to succeed made his stuttering worse. “I was starting to stutter more, so I quit,” he says.

He took on various jobs, including a stint as a waiter and a production assistant on the sitcom Dave’s World — “I was fired from all my jobs,” he jokes — but returned to acting when he was 25. “I was more in control and having fun instead of having the pressure on me.”

Soon, he got an agent and in 1996, he auditioned for Buffy, winning the role of her best male friend, Alexander Harris. What drew him to the show was Xander’s way with words. “I liked the dialogue — I just had fun saying it,” Brendon says, adding with a laugh, “saying it in my very unique way of acting — long pauses where they shouldn’t be, stuttering here and there.”

“He’s such a sweet kid,” he says of his TV alter ego, who has gone from high school cut-up to young man with his own job, apartment and (former demon) girlfriend. “He’s growing up, and I’m very, very pleased with my character. It’s just been a lovely, easy ride.”

Engaged to be married

And he is equally happy about his personal life. Brendon is engaged to actress Tressa DiFiglia, 29, and the couple is busy planning their September 2001 wedding. As a pre-wedding break, they’ll travel to Europe for five weeks, a mix of vacation and work: He will be giving motivational speeches, something that once would have made him shake-in-his-shoes nervous.

Foundation president Fraser says that Brendon’s commitment to helping other stutterers through public service announcements, charity events and a cyber-campaign in which kids write in and ask him questions, has been incredible. “He’s been just wonderful,” she says. “I think he has tremendous determination to deal with this problem on a daily basis and become the actor that he’s become.”

Brendon, for his part, just hopes to make a difference in the lives of fellow sufferers. “I want to raise as much money as possible,” he says matter-of-factly. “You need the money to pay the people that are gonna help these kids and that helps with the problem.”

Story: Serena Kappes