Nicholas Brendon at nickbrendon.com: The official Web site

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. InStyle 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

Interview at Scholastic.com
May 2001

Like many of the characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nicholas Brendon hasn’t had the easiest time in school. When Nicholas was growing up, he had to overcome a stutter that sometimes made it difficult for him to talk to others. Nicholas is one of the best examples of someone who overcame a problem with a lot of work and determination. Now Nicholas entertains millions of Buffy fans as Xander, and has some advice on how to conquer your fears.

Q&A

Q: You had a stutter until you were in high school. When did you get rid of it and how did you do it?
A: Stuttering is something I still have to work through daily. Studying the craft [of acting] has helped me to overcome my stutter. Some of the most helpful exercises came from acting classes, [like] vocal warmups and tongue-twisters.

Q: Was it difficult growing up and having the stutter?
A: I was very shy and insecure. It wasn’t until my early twenties that I truly felt comfortable speaking in public.

Q: Did people make fun of you?
A: No. Everybody was very kind and patient, teachers and students alike.

Q: What advice would you give to someone else who is dealing with a stutter?
A: [You have to have] courage and patience and don’t be too hard on yourself.

Q: Are you worried that you might stutter when you’re filming the show?
A: I still worry about stuttering when I’m performing. [I] try to slow down and always remember it’s just a word–nobody’s gonna die [if I make a mistake]. But I’m much less intimidated one on one.

Q: If you hadn’t gone into acting, what do you think you would have done?
A: I can’t honestly say. I had [thought about going] into medicine to help people, but I couldn’t do it. I worked at a vet [office] once, and I passed out. With acting, I’m able to entertain people, and I think I’m doing just as good. I want to inspire people.

Q: Have you ever thought about getting involved with other forms of entertainment?
A: I enjoy singing. I sing for my family. I sing in the shower or in the car. I’ll sing to a song and sing well. Maybe if I weren’t acting, I would try to put a band together and have fun. Thank God for the public that I’m acting!

Interview by: Marie Morreale.
Compiled by: Paul Coco

Stuttering Foundation of America Newsletter
Summer 2001

Actor Nicholas Brendon Chairs National Stuttering Awareness Week, May 14-20

Nicholas Brendon has won fans of all ages portraying Xander in the popular TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

But what most of his admirers don’t know is that Nick has successfully dealt with a challenge that could have derailed his career.

Most actors must learn to overcome stage fright or face the possibility of never performing before an audience again. However, stage fright was not the challenge that confronted Nick–stuttering was.

Because he is such an admirable role model for young people who stutter, the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation of America is pleased to announce that Nicholas Brendon has agreed to be the 2001 Honorary Chair for National Stuttering Awareness Week, May 14-20.

Nick remembers that his stuttering developed when he was about seven years old. When his struggles to communicate persisted, Nick’s parents sought help from a speech-language pathologist. The therapist taught Nick helpful strategies. “Every day, I have to remind myself to slow down and concentrate,” Nick explained. He also learned special exercises, which he practices to this day. Over time, he has discovered that his best strategy is “patience, patience, patience.” Pursuing an acting career “has been instrumental in overcoming my stutter,” Brendon noted.

While he still has concerns about stuttering when he performs, Nick’s perseverance and determination have helped him make his mark in Hollywood. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is now in its fifth season, and Nick’s increasing popularity has allowed him to branch out into feature films and stage work. He has also made guest appearances at science fiction conventions all over the country.

“Congress authorized National Stuttering Awareness Week because stuttering has a tremendous impact on a wide cross-section of Americans,” said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation. “Most people don’t realize that stuttering affects three million people nationwide, without any regard for race, ethnicity or economic status.

“We want to make them aware of the fact that speech therapy can help them make progress at any age, as it did for Nick,” Fraser added.

“As I worked on my speech, I realized that no one was going to die because I was stuttering,” Nick said. “I want people who stutter to know that if they work hard, as I still do, they too can improve their speech.” He now speaks in public without debilitating fear or embarrassment.

For a copy of the National Stuttering Awareness Week brochure that features 15 famous people who stutter, including Nick Brendon, call the Stuttering Foundation toll-free at (800) 992-9392, or visit www.stutteringhelp.org