Nicholas Brendon’s dazed and confused Reverend Mike blends George Carlin’s hippy-dippy weatherman with wonderment all his own.

Backstage.com also makes mention of Nicholas in its review:

Nicholas Brendon is a laugh riot in the role of an erstwhile minister who doubles as a porn producer…

Brendon is an appealing performer who makes Sedaris’ story his own, nicely conveying the sense of a character whose toothy, cheerful grin masks the disdain of the passive- aggressive store clerk.

Digital Spy: Nicholas Brendon laps up ‘Buffy’ comics

EOnline: Buffy: “Look It Up: Slayer Comma The”; Buffy Reunion: “This Is the Crack Team That Foils My Every Plan?”

Hollywood.com: The Cast of ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Sinks Their Teeth Into a Reunion

iF Magazine: The cast and creative team behind ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ reunited for Paley Fest 2008

PopCrunch: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reunion at Paley Festival

The Futon Critic: Live at the Paley Festival: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ reunion

So what can fans of fantasy and science fiction expect when they attend Supanova 2007, the Sydney convention that promises two days of “pop culture euphoria”? Well, there are appearances from the likes of Marvel Comics mastermind Stan Lee, Battlestar Galactica femme fatale Kate Vernon and — awesome! — Flash Gordon star Sam J. Jones. And if the fans go along to see U.S. actor Nicholas Brendon, they’ll find themselves treated to discussions on “creationism versus evolutionism” and the American military’s possible exit strategies for the War in Iraq. Oh, and maybe a TV series called Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Yes, as is his wont, Brendon is cracking wise. Devotees of Buffy, the cult-hit horror series that developed a massive fan base during its seven years on the air, will be well aware that the actor has a real knack for it, with his performance as Xander Harris, the title character’s nerdy but noble offsider, providing a comic contrast to the stalking and staking action.

Brendon’s a frequent fixture at events like Supanova and he admits such conventions do tend to blur into one after a while. So he’s forgiven for not recalling the specifics of what he’s asked to talk about when appearing on discussion panels and the like. “I talk about what people want to talk about,” he says. “But it is typically Buffy that comes up. And stories about my twin brother, Kelly, who’s a hottie. That’s hottie with a heart over the ‘i’, by the way.” Duly noted.

Of course, if his twin brother’s a hottie, that makes Brendon a hottie as well, right? Not according to the man himself. “I’m a nerd at heart, really,” he admits. “I try to cover it up with the clothes I buy and all that kind of stuff but I’m a nerd. And I think it’s better to be closer to your nerd-dom than your studliness, if you know what I mean.” And maybe that’s the secret to the popularity of Xander — the character embraces his dorkiness, but he also got to embrace his fair share of fine ladies during his seven years on Buffy. “Yeah, for a nerd, he did bag a lot of chicks,” laughs Brendon. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Buffy creator Joss Whedon has admitted that he based the character of Xander on himself, something Brendon appreciates. “You mean to be modelled after a genius with a brilliant sense of humour who goes on to live the life of his dreams?” he says. “I can’t say that sucked.” Brendon also concedes that the essence of Xander’s appeal lay in his everyman qualities. After all, not everyone can get out there and slay vampires (“They can’t? Are you saying vampires don’t exist? You’re on a slippery slope now, my friend”) but everyone has occasionally felt like the beta member in an alpha group. “Well, he was the only person who didn’t have a super power,” Brendon says of Xander. “The only power I really had was the ability to see, and even that was taken away from me.” (In a nasty scene in Buffy’s final season, one of Xander’s eyes was gouged out by a demonic preacher.) “But Xander’s a fairly well-liked dude everywhere, which is nice.”

One imagines that Brendon would be a fairly well-liked dude everywhere as well — how could you dislike a guy who throws a Sergeant Schultz impression into the middle of an interview, admits that the main thing that makes him cry is yoga (especially a pose he calls The Upturned Hippopotamus) and cops to having “a little too much fun” during his last Sydney visit six years ago? “It started as business but it became fun,” he recalls with a laugh. “Now I’m making a triumphant return.”

Supanova 2007 runs from Friday October 12 to Sunday October 14 at The Dome at Sydney Olympic Park. For further information about the event, visit www.supanova.com.au.

There’s something nostalgic about running into your high-school flame.

Now imagine it happening on the small screen. Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendon, who played sweethearts Cordelia and Xander on the hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reunite for the first time in the ABC Family movie Relative Chaos (premiering tomorrow at 8 p.m.).

“It’s fun because we’ve both grown, and it’s so fun to see each other as grownups,” Carpenter said during a recent interview. “And to actually just let loose and have fun and be on a set – that’s just such a joy.”

“It was just really great,” Brendon added. “It really harkened back to a time. I felt like I was back in high school.”

Buffy was the big break for both of them when the series became a pop-culture phenomenon in 1997.

“We were just so green,” Carpenter said. “I didn’t even know where my light was or how to find a mark and not fidget.”

“We’re definitely not as stressed now,” Brendon said.

In Relative Chaos, Carpenter plays the girlfriend of Dil Gilbert (Christopher Gorham). Brendon plays Dil’s obnoxious brother Gil.

“We talked about, on-set, how hard it was for him to have me on-set with another boyfriend,” Carpenter said. “He said, ‘Next time you have to be my girlfriend.’ I said, ‘Of course.’ ”

The reunion with Brendon wasn’t the first Carpenter has had with a former Buffy castmate. Last season she played gold-digger Kendall Casablancas on Veronica Mars. Alyson Hannigan (Willow on Buffy) played the sister of Kendall’s much-younger boy toy. The two met up in a hilarious scene of biting one-liners.

“I adore Alyson,” Carpenter said. “Her character was really, really bitchy, and it was really funny.”

For years on Buffy, Cordelia picked on Willow. Now Carpenter thinks Hannigan was able to get her revenge. “I figured I had that coming for a long time,” she said and then laughed.

The part on Veronica Mars was an adjustment for Carpenter.

“It was fun. It was ballsy. It was brave. It was hard because there was a lot of sexuality. It was a big adjustment I think emotionally and physically. I had to get somewhat comfortable with my body. I think it’s a great show. I’ve had the opportunity to be a big part of a story line that was eager to be told by the people who write it and eager to be watched by the fans who enjoy it.”

Carpenter said her part will be smaller this season on Veronica Mars.

“I think you’ve got to tune in right away – catch the first episode or you’re going to miss the whole season.”

Brendon just finished his first play, Lobster Alice, opposite Noah Wyle with the Blank Theatre Company in Los Angeles.

“When I first started, I thought, ‘Wow, I don’t know if I can do this.’ But it’s such a beautiful medium.”

Carpenter and Brendon hope to have more opportunities to work with the former residents of Sunnydale.

“The hardest part of Buffy ending was saying goodbye to Xander,” Brendon said. “It was like saying goodbye to a good friend of mine.”

While working on the TV movie I Want to Marry Ryan Banks, Bradley Cooper was constantly regaled with stories about a certain actor.

His co-star, Emma Caulfield, couldn’t stop talking about Nicholas Brendon, who played her love interest on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. “She kept saying, ‘Oh, my God, there was this guy that I worked with who you kind of remind me of, but he’s really funny and he’s such a great actor. You guys would get along,’” says Cooper. “Every day we’d do a scene, and she’d go, ‘Oh, my God, he would be so great in that scene.’ I’m, like, ‘The scene I just did?’ She’s, like, ‘Yeah, oh, my God, the choices he would have made.’ This guy, Nicholas Brendon, I wanted to f***ing kill him.”

In a neat twist of fate, the two are now starring together in Kitchen Confidential, a new FOX comedy that revolves around bad-boy chef Jack Bourdain (Cooper) and his staff at a hip New York City eatery. Brendon portrays Seth, an old pal of Jack’s who comes to work for him. “It’s so crazy that we’re working together now,” says Cooper. “And [Emma was] right: We both find the same things funny.”

That much is certainly obvious. Over brunch, Cooper and Brendon are very much in sync, ribbing each other good-naturedly and jokingly proclaiming that they share a psychic bond. “We actually have become so close we don’t have to talk anymore,” says Brendon. “What’s going on in our heads is 10 times better than this.”

Prior to Kitchen, both actors played nice guys on cult-hit series with kick-ass female leads: Brendon was sarcastic sidekick Xander Harris on Buffy; Cooper spent two seasons as well-meaning reporter Will Tippin on Alias. Cooper also has a scene-stealing supporting role in this summer’s raucous comedy Wedding Crashers.

To kick things off, Cooper recalled his Kitchen audition:

Bradley Cooper: I remember, in the middle of the audition, I felt like they were excited and I was excited. Usually you walk in a room and you get the feeling they’re, like, “Great, do your thing, ’cause there are, like, eight more [actors].” David Hemingson, [who created the show with Darren Star], is amazing, and he was so effusive in his excitement about the project. We started to do the audition, and halfway through I just felt like I wasn’t nailing it. I remember, I thought, “I’m not gonna get this. I’m actually losing the role right now.” I actually said, in the middle of the audition — which is the best thing I did — “I’m drowning, guys.” And just saying that sort of freed me up, and then I was able to do better.

Nicholas Brendon: And what did they say to you? “No, no, no….”

Cooper: David goes, “No, man, you’re on a cigarette boat, you’re skimming across the waves.” I’m, like, “Cigarette?” It took me a second. Then I’m, like, “Oh, Miami Vice, all right.” I’m not drowning, I’m on a cigarette boat.

Entrances and Exits

Back Stage West: You’ve both been a part of hugely successful shows. What was the experience like coming off of those series? And did you find yourself being typecast or pigeonholed at all?

Brendon: I didn’t know how to say goodbye properly. It was very bittersweet for me. I had to do a lot of soul-searching when it was over, and I kind of took myself out of acting for four or five months to take care of some stuff. I think I was too deep into the healing process of this thing that had ended that I wasn’t aware of any pigeonholing that happened to me. We were over at [the Television Critics Association press tour], and somebody had brought that up in the Q&A session, and Darren and Dave both said emphatically that I would have done this project regardless of Buffy, which is great because I didn’t expect that answer — nor did I expect the question.

Cooper: Meaning that they would have hired you because Xander was [like] Seth?

Brendon: Yeah. They hadn’t really even seen Buffy, and basically [they said] I embodied the role of Seth, which was neat. You kind of fear that there’s a name thing, maybe, that there’s a body of work; it’s not because you’re nailing that part. I always felt that if I had to audition for a part, I had so much more respect for that part than if I were offered a part. Four or five years ago, when I was full of anxiety, I would have rather been offered parts, because I was so terrified of auditioning. Now, as I’ve grown up and matured, I love the audition process. ’Cause that’s life: You’re not gonna book everything. In life you’re not going to get everything you want. You have to learn how to deal with the ups and the downs.

Cooper: Alias for me was a real whirlwind of an experience. It was like the best of times and the worst of times, truly. I was from New York, and I got hired out of New York, and it was great because Victor Garber and Ron Rifkin also did. So we sort of all came out together, and they have remained two of my best friends. That was a really special experience, and that first season was kind of magical because it was a groundbreaking show in a lot of ways. And Jennifer [Garner] just exploded. It was amazing. But then it got to the point where I felt like I was on location in L.A. rather than moving to L.A. I was living in Hollywood, up in the hills, and I was only working, like, three days a week. And the whole idea of criticism of the public and the network and the [Internet] message boards. I became completely obsessed with the message boards. People really didn’t like my character, and it really hurt me. I took it very personally. I mean, it was a joint decision [for me to leave]. I didn’t know what the character was anymore. I just felt like I was stagnating as an actor, too, and I thought, “Is this what it’s gonna be my whole life?”

Brendon: That really is admirable. Because after about season five on [Buffy], or the end of season four, I was that guy. [Buffy creator] Joss [Whedon] actually said Xander was done — that there was no more. I was just kind of relegated to the background. It was one of those things that, where I was at in my life, the money was more important than my pride or taking care of myself. [Leaving], especially as the show’s just starting to take off…

Cooper: Yeah, but I was drowning, man. [Alias creator J.J. Abrams], who I love, was so sympathetic when I went to him. We talked a lot about ending Will at the end of season two, and then we did it. It was a very emotional two years, but I would never take it back. I loved going through it, because I learned so much, and I really learned about what’s important. With [Kitchen Confidential], I hope people watch it, but I’m just enjoying shooting the 12 [episodes]. Because that’s all I can control.

BSW: Let’s talk about your first sitcom experiences. Bradley, I remember you in Sex and the City, and Nicholas, I believe yours was Married … With Children.

Brendon: Mine was demoralizing. I was cast as Guy in Ray-Ray’s Gang. I went in for Ray-Ray, but this other actor got it. I [had] one line. In rehearsal, I go [tough-guy voice], “Oh, yo, it’s the ghost of that dead guy, Al Bundy.” That’s how I wanted to say it. And the director says, “No, no, man. You’re a tweaker, and you really believe that that’s the ghost of Al Bundy.” What? So in the end, we’re rolling dice on the stoop, and I say, [meek, scared voice] “That’s the ghost of that dead Al Bundy guy.” You could hear a pin drop on tape. And Married … With Children is the rowdiest show ever. Pin drop. And then [I got] that flush where you can tell you’re turning purple under all your makeup and you’re starting to bead sweat a little bit, and you don’t know what to do.

Cooper: I played Jake the Downtown Smoker. I remember I didn’t know how to drive a stick shift, and they said, “Can you drive a stick shift?” And I was, like, “Yeah, yeah.” I ran home and called my agent and said, “I can’t drive a stick shift.” So they sent me to driving school in New York City. I spent two days driving all over the city in a Honda Accord, and I got really good at it, I thought. Cut to the day of work: It’s 2 in the morning, and I get in the car, and it’s a 1968 silver Porsche convertible. The brake and the clutch on a Honda Accord are, like, right next to each other. On that old Porsche, it was like driving a bus. All I thought was, “I’m gonna smash [Sarah Jessica Parker’s] head on the dashboard.” I was starting to sweat profusely, and then, as I’m realizing that, her assistant comes up to me and goes, “Just so you know, Miss Parker doesn’t kiss in rehearsals. And no tongue.” And then walks away. I was, like, “No, no, I wasn’t gonna do tongue.” In the whole scene, all I kept thinking of was, I was trying to keep my tongue in the back of my mouth and not bang her head against the dashboard. So it was a pretty trying experience, but it was fun.

Starts and Stops

BSW: Speaking of sitcoms, Nicholas, is it true that you landed a guest spot on Dave’s World while you were a production assistant on the show?

Brendon: Yeah. I was cast in it, and I was not a PA for that week, and when I came back, I was fired as a PA. I mean, I fell asleep on the producer’s coach the week before. They frown upon that. Because of that, I got into acting when I was 25: A manager wanted to sign me, and I booked Buffy three months later. That was a monumental time in my life. I [first] got into acting when I was 19, 20, because I had a stutter and I wanted to combat the stutter.

Cooper: So you initially were in it at 20 and then went back?

Brendon: I did three or four commercials. When I would go in for auditions, I wasn’t having fun. I was terrified about having a stutter, and I would give myself such a hard time if I didn’t do well. I would beat myself up. I remember when we had the earthquake in ’94. I was in Sherman Oaks, and I had an audition at Universal for something, and after all the rumbling had stopped and I realized I was alive, my first thought was, “Cool, I don’t have to go to Universal for my audition today.” Not, “Is anyone dead?” but, “Awesome, free day.” I realized that I just really didn’t want to be doing it anymore. [Later] I was in a place to really not care about what people thought about me and just have fun. And I’ve realized that I can’t book every job. The only thing that I’m in control of is doing a good job in there, and I have five minutes; it’s my time. But I really just kind of took all the pressure off me, which is advice that I give to actors: Go in there and have fun.

BSW: Bradley, have you ever thought about quitting the business?

Cooper: Oh, yeah. Once the second season [of Alias] wrapped, I actually had lunch with my manager and my business manager and said, “Stop representing me; I’m gonna move to New York and get a Ph.D. and study literature and teach.” I went to see Punch Drunk Love that night, and I was sitting in the movie theater, and I just loved that movie. I thought, “If I was in a small town with my family and going to see that movie, I would walk away so depressed,” because it’s the only thing I really want to do: tell stories. So the next day I thought, “You know what? Come on, man. Get your shit together.” It was a long road after that and continues to be a long road, but it was a big turning point.

Brendon: I was writing in my journal this morning, and I can’t believe how blessed we all are doing this show right now. We’re on set, and it hasn’t really hit us yet. I can’t believe this is my life. As a kid, I wanted to be an actor. I can’t believe that, literally, I’m living a fairy-tale life. It’s almost like you’re afraid to admit [it], and you’re afraid to write it down, because I always think, “Okay, well, God’s gonna take that away.” But it’s just good to write it out and say, “I really appreciate everything that’s in my life right now.”

Cooper: We’re all doing this at the right time in our lives. What I love about this experience is, I feel like I’m living every moment of it and appreciating it. I’m not caught up in any of the s*** that doesn’t matter — so far. I’m not worrying about the ratings, I’m not worrying about people even watching. I just want people to watch because I love [the show] so much. It’s the perfect time for all of us to appreciate this, and that is a blessing, because timing is everything.

BSW: Any final advice for aspiring actors?

Cooper: I remember when Whoopi Goldberg came to our school [the Actors Studio Drama School at the New School University], and everybody was so irate because she said, “You know what? If you have any doubt about doing it, don’t.” Everybody was, like, “What the hell?” I think that’s the best advice I’ve ever heard. This business is so f***ing hard. I’ve been lucky — the fact that I graduated in 2000 and I literally haven’t stopped working since. And with that, it’s been such a rough road. Between ’action’ and ’cut’ is the best thing in the world for me. If you get that kind of high, then it’s worth it. And if you feel that kind of complete obsession with it, then I think it’s worth it. But otherwise, you know what? Don’t do it. If I didn’t love it, I would not do it. And I never thought that I would say [that], but it’s not negative. It’s kind of like a disease, acting. But I love it.

Brendon: I’m not sure how to follow that, because that was very articulate and beautiful. But mine’s gonna be very simple and completely contrary to yours. Joking aside, the only advice that I would give is to have fun. If you’re not having fun, why do it? That’s why I quit, initially. Also, when I’m acting, I don’t overthink anything. The hardest part of acting for me is the movement of your body, standing in front of a camera. The thing that kind of gets me through that is [thinking], “Listen, as human beings, we’re awkward. We don’t know how to stand.” So just because there’s a camera on you, don’t overthink that stuff. Or if you do, that’s fine, because as human beings we overthink things, as well. As long as you’re thinking something. Acting is faking out people and making them believe and taking them through an adventure, and there are many ways to do that, but the most important thing is to really have fun.

Nicholas Brendon
Was: Xander on Buffy
Is: Bad-boy chef in Fox’s Kitchen Confidential, costarring Bradley Cooper

Did I mention Nicholas Brendon and Bradley Cooper? Can you imagine a more delicious pairing? Well, how ’bout the fact that Kitchen Confidential comes from the bestselling book and is helmed by Sex and the City‘s Darren Star. Not too shabby.

That said, it’s no surprise this offbeat, single-camera comedy — which centers around a party boy, a playboy chef (Cooper) and the chef’s hot posse, including Brendon as a sous chef — is already getting good buzz as one of the strongest contenders this fall. That’s music to the ears of the cast of Arrested Development, which has been paired with Kitchen on Monday nights but not so much to another Buffy alum.

“Alyson [Hannigan] and I are up against each other,” Nicholas says, referring to her new comedy, How I Met Your Mother, over on CBS. “I remember with Buffy the critics picked Everybody Loves Raymond as the show on Monday night, because we came out at the same time, and Buffy was the second pick. So, if Kitchen Confidential is anything like Raymond, Alyson’s show can be the Buffy!”

Bradley Cooper As for Bradley (a.k.a. Alias‘ Will), Nicholas says they’ve become instant BFFs: “I just talked to Mr. Cooper this morning. We get along so well. He’s kind of like a long-lost cousin, except not blood related, so we can make love…What am I saying?!”

Not sure, but West Hollywood is certainly rejoicing.

Grade: B+
Chances of Survival: 70% (color me skeptical, but Fox was also the home of Wonderfalls)

Xander Harris may not have had any superpowers as such, but that never stopped Buffy, and the Buffy viewers, from thinking that he was a real superhero. Buffy Magazine caught up with the popular actor to discuss life after Buffy, his hopes for the return of the franchise and his future projects…

It comes as no surprise to see that Nick Brendon is tired when he comes into the Green Room at the end of the Starfury Fusion convention being held in Blackpool, England. For the past two and a half days he has been giving his all to the fans, entertaining them on stage, both in tandem with his onscreen lover, Emma Caulfield, and just before we meet, in a solo panel. Effortlessly bounding around the stage, he has been swapping jokes, occasionally becoming serious, but always handling the audience with the kind of light touch that has endeared him to fans around the world, making him a constant favorite at conventions.

Nick looks lean and fit, and this is in part because, as he announced shortly before the convention, he recently voluntarily entered an alcohol treatment center. “Over the past eight years, I’ve discovered that Buffy fans are the most caring and supportive fans in the world,” he explained when he made his announcement. “Knowing that they will be behind me, rooting for me as I go through this process, makes everything that much easier. I’m looking forward to leading a happy, sober life.” And the fans certainly lived up to his expectations, giving him presents and passing on their good wishes.

The actor looks round the Green Room and gives a cheery ‘hello’ to other cast members who are scattered around, then reacts with mock hurt and surprise when nobody acknowledges him. “I’m saying ‘hi’ to you!” he sings out, and when they tell him that they’re just listening, he stage mutters, “I just say ‘hi’ to them, and they didn’t say ‘hi’ back… that’s odd…”

Admitting that the weekend has been tiring, Nick slumps back in an armchair but is happy to chat with Buffy Magazine, looking back at his work on the show. “I was sad,” he admits, when we start discussing how he felt as his seven years on Buffy drew to a close. “It was a big family, you know, and I was used to seeing these people five days a week – the crew and the cast… the cast and the crew.” He gives a grin. “I don’t want anyone to feel slighted there by putting them in the wrong order! Yeah, there was a definite tinge of sadness, and, of course, there was the anxiety of wondering what the last day was going to be like. Was there going to be lots of tears and stuff?”

In the event, Nick was actually very busy during the filming of “Chosen.” Not only was Xander involved heavily in the final battle between the Slayer and the forces of The First, but the actor was also simultaneously working on another project. “I was doing a show for Fox,” he recalls. “It was a pilot for The Pool at Maddy Breakers, by the creator of Married… With Children, Ron Levitt. It was an awesome show, with a fantastic cast, but the pace was completely different from Buffy. Acting in front of an audience is amazing – you get an energy from the audience that’s just like theater.”

This meant that, although he realized that he was no longer turning up for work at the Santa Monica sound stages, which had been part of his life for so long, the full impact of Buffy’s ending didn’t affect him immediately. “It kind of hit me about three months after it had wrapped,” he admits. “I missed the camaraderie of it. It had been the first job for most of us, and we’d seen what the show had become as it went along.”

Nick has no complaints about the end of Xander’s journey through the series. Throughout the show’s history, he has said that he puts his faith in Joss’ writing. “It’s been nice to relinquish control and delegate what this kid is going to do,” he points out. “He’s been growing up and trying to discover himself. I would read the script, show up to work and find out where he’s going. At the end, he lost body parts! I thought that was great. If there’s a film to be done, I’ll be wearing an eye patch! And he lost his love. I thought it wrapped up quite nicely.”

Although in the past, Nick has maintained that he knew that there were certain central core characters who Joss Whedon would not allow to be killed, all bets were definitely off when it came to the closing episodes of the series. At one stage, Nick reveals, it was even considered that Xander would turn to the dark side. “As I said on stage earlier, I like playing evil. And Joss likes me when I’m playing evil. He came up with the idea that I would be killed. It would have been when I got my eye poked out – I was going to be killed then, but he thought about it, and decided that the fans might not like that, so instead I lost an eye.”

Nick admits that it came as something of a shock to see the black and white words of the script, bringing everything to a close. “We knew that people were going to die,” he says bluntly. “One of the things that we were warned about was that people were going to die in the finale. Then we got word about three weeks before we shot the episode of the people who were going to be dying.” He pauses for a moment, then says more quietly, “That was kind of weird. When you read the script and see a line that says Spike is dead – okay, at least for a week! – or another one that says ‘Anya lays down on the floor, dead,’ it was strange, because we were always laying on the floor – but we would always get up again the following week.”

For once in Buffy, death really did seem to mean death. “There hadn’t been that finality before, no,” Nick agrees, then laughs again. “Except for Spike, of course!”

Looking back over the whole seven years, Nick thinks that the greatest thing he learned from the experience was “patience. Tons and tons of patience. In every respect.” He laughs when he’s reminded of his jokey comment a couple of years earlier that ‘the 14-hour days aren’t as much fun as they used to be, and you’re in your trailer for 10 hours, thinking that everyone is conspiring against you!’ “Yeah, I learned patience about the hours, about everything,” he says.

There’s a large grin on his face when he says that the highlight for him of his whole time on Buffy was “learning patience…” and he’s determined to keep the gag running as long as possible when he says that “patience” is a challenge that he can now face as a result of working on the show. He turns serious for a moment. “I don’t actually view it that way,” he says. “I attack each part differently. I learned a lot from working on Buffy. I became a lot more comfortable in what I do. I was on there for 144 episodes [he missed “Conversations with Dead People”], so there was definitely a lot of opportunity to learn while I was there. I still get nervous, but now it’s like it’s ‘fun’ nervous. Those nerves make me shine a little bit – at least I hope they do.”

Nick has always maintained that he prefers to work on ‘quality, not quantity,’ and since work ended on Buffy, he has played Celeste’s gay cousin in the TV movie Celeste in the City, working alongside a fellow former fantasy actor, Roswell star Majandra Delfino. “It was nice to be working on something where I didn’t have a love interest,” he admits. “It was a lot of fun to do.” However, the actor is very honest about what he looks for when his agent sends him a script. “I want to be hired,” he says bluntly. “I want to book the job.” In reality, he’s much more choosy than that, and he adds, “I look at the way it’s composed. If I’m doing a comedy, then I want to be sure that the beats are there. If it’s a drama, does it hold my attention when I’m reading it?”

Like many of his castmates, and indeed everyone who has worked on a Joss Whedon show, Nick considers that he was spoiled by the fantastic dialog that he was given to deliver during the series, and the overall quality of the scripts, whether written by Joss directly or overseen by him. “Oh yes, we were spoiled. I’ve learned that it all starts with the writers,” he says firmly. “It’s very much in the writing. Hopefully, I’ll get lucky again – lightning can strike twice, or maybe even three or four times.”

At the time of this interview, there had been no confirmation on the rumors of Buffy: Animated being resurrected, and Nick admitted that he was “wide open right now. I’ve been talking about maybe doing comedy – I want to do a sitcom in front of a live audience and have fun. I also want to play a villain, or maybe be in a romantic comedy.”

He is absolutely insistent that he has no regrets about the seven years that he spent playing Xander. “No,” he says instantly, “No regrets at all. It’s a pretty good way to spend that time.” Indeed, unlike many actors who have appeared in a long-running series, who are champing at the bit toward the end of the run for a chance to do something else, he even says that he would be happy to sign up for another long-running series.

Nick used to say that “Xander is a very important person in my life, but he’s not me,” but he agrees now that it’s become really hard for him to be able to see how much the character of Xander has been influenced by Nicholas Brendon. “I really don’t know how interchangeable they were by the end,” he admits. “I was just learning my lines, and hopefully doing a good job.” But, as with any long-running series, the writers saw what Nick was bringing to the table and started to play to the actor’s strengths. “Yes, that’s what makes it really hard to say!” he laughs.

As our time draws to a close, and Nick prepares to face the UK fans for one last time in a final autograph session, he’s typically modest about what he would like to see if Buffy the Vampire Slayer does translate back to the big screen at some point in the near future. “The eye patch,” he repeats. “I would have to wear an eye patch. But other than that, there’s nothing I can particularly think of. During those seven years, [Xander] went through the whole gamut of emotions. I’m more than happy to leave that in the hands of the Powers That Be.”