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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Actor Nicholas Brendon Dead at 54

Nicholas Brendon. (Getty Images/AFP)
Nicholas Brendon. (Getty Images/AFP)
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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Actor Nicholas Brendon Dead at 54

Nicholas Brendon. (Getty Images/AFP)
Nicholas Brendon. (Getty Images/AFP)

US actor Nicholas Brendon, known for his role in the hit series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has died, his family announced Friday. He was 54.

Brendon died in his sleep of natural causes, the family said in a statement posted to social media. They did not say when or where he died.

"Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art," the family said in the post.

"Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was."

Brendon played Xander Harris in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" over seven seasons between 1997 and 2003.

The show was centered around Buffy, a teenage girl who battles vampires and other monsters while navigating life in high school.

Brendon's character was a close friend of Buffy.

The Los Angeles-born actor was also known for his appearances in shows like "Criminal Minds,Private Practice" and "Kitchen Confidential," a TV adaptation of Anthony Bourdain's memoir.

He appeared in several thriller films.

Brendon had previous health struggles. In a 2023 Instagram post, he told fans he had undergone two spinal surgeries and had a heart attack.

In their post Friday, Brendon's family asked for privacy "as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart."

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Entertainment

India Blocks Release of Oscar-Nominated Gaza Film over Ties with Israel

Drone view of a giant sand portrait of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in 2024 and the focus of the Oscar-nominated film "The Voice of Hind Rajab," created on a beach near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Britain, in this undated handout image. (A Letter from Lucy/Handout via Reuters)
Drone view of a giant sand portrait of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in 2024 and the focus of the Oscar-nominated film "The Voice of Hind Rajab," created on a beach near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Britain, in this undated handout image. (A Letter from Lucy/Handout via Reuters)
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India Blocks Release of Oscar-Nominated Gaza Film over Ties with Israel

Drone view of a giant sand portrait of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in 2024 and the focus of the Oscar-nominated film "The Voice of Hind Rajab," created on a beach near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Britain, in this undated handout image. (A Letter from Lucy/Handout via Reuters)
Drone view of a giant sand portrait of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in 2024 and the focus of the Oscar-nominated film "The Voice of Hind Rajab," created on a beach near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Britain, in this undated handout image. (A Letter from Lucy/Handout via Reuters)

India has blocked the release of "The Voice of Hind Rajab", a film about the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl by Israeli forces, the movie's distributor told AFP on Saturday.

The Oscar-nominated docudrama by French-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania recounts the real-life death of Hind Rajab in Gaza last year as her family attempted to flee during Israel's war with Hamas.

Manoj Nandwana of Jai Viratra Entertainment, the film's Indian distributor, said a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told him that the film's theatrical release would "hamper India's relations with Israel".

"After screening it for the board it was clear to me that they would not clear it for release in India," Nandwana told AFP on Saturday, adding that he was not officially notified of the denial.

"The film has been released all over the world including in Israel. Why is it bad or sensitive for Indians?" Nandwana asked. "It's strange."

The film was, however, screened at an international film festival in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata in November last year, Nandwana said.

New Delhi has expanded ties with Israel in defense, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity while balancing diplomatic interests in the Middle East and historically supporting Palestinian statehood.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel for two days -- his second trip since 2017 -- just days before Israel and the United States began a campaign of airstrikes on Iran.

Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor from the opposition Congress party said blocking the film was "disgraceful".

"In a democracy, screening a film is a reflection of our society's freedom of expression and has nothing to do with government-to-government relations," he said in a post on X.

"This practice of banning films or books because of the offense they might cause to foreign countries must stop immediately. It's unworthy of a mature democracy."

"The Voice of Hind Rajab" was nominated for Best International Feature at this year's Oscars but lost to the Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value".

Last year, the film won the Silver Lion grand jury prize at the Venice Film Festival where it left audiences in tears at its premiere.

Entertainment

K-pop Kings BTS Rock Seoul in Comeback Concert

K-pop group BTS performs during the "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" concert in central Seoul, South Korea, 21 March 2026. (EPA)
K-pop group BTS performs during the "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" concert in central Seoul, South Korea, 21 March 2026. (EPA)
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K-pop Kings BTS Rock Seoul in Comeback Concert

K-pop group BTS performs during the "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" concert in central Seoul, South Korea, 21 March 2026. (EPA)
K-pop group BTS performs during the "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" concert in central Seoul, South Korea, 21 March 2026. (EPA)

South Korean megastars BTS reunited Saturday for their first show in nearly four years, blowing away enormous crowds in Seoul for a K-pop extravaganza livestreamed to millions more worldwide.

Widely lauded as the biggest boy band in the world, BTS went on hiatus in 2022 so the seven members could serve compulsory stints in the South Korean military.

The comeback concert by the group at the vanguard of the Korean cultural wave was staged on the doorstep of the historic Gyeongbokgung royal palace -- a fitting venue for the "Kings of K-pop".

Enormous crowds of fans -- 260,000 were predicted before -- descended on Seoul from morning onwards in colorful costumers, taking selfies and clutching BTS "ARMY" glowsticks.

Before they came on stage fans chanted "BTS! BTS!" with the main boulevard leading up to Gwanghwamun Square -- the symbolic heart of the Seoul -- ram-packed with people as far as the eye could see.

"Hi Seoul, we are back," one of the group members said.

Gwanghwamun Gate was lit in rainbow colors, as a massive stage installation featuring three circular features -- symbolizing BTS's new album -- glowed beneath towering lighting rigs.

Lee Yeon-seo, 36, a South Korean who travelled from the southern city of Jeonju, was one of those who arrived early.

"My seat is actually toward the front, near the main stage, so I'm even more excited thinking I'll get to see them up close," she told AFP.

"With the tour kicking off in April, this is the beginning of their new journey. In a way, it feels like an honor to experience it live like this, more vividly than most people."

"I'm from Australia so I came down to Korea for the culture and for the BTS concert, just to see," Gloria Moloney, 22, told AFP.

Potentially millions more across the world will tune in to see a Netflix live broadcast.

In a last-minute setback, the group's agency said Friday that BTS leader RM hurt his ankle in rehearsals and that his "participation in certain performance elements, such as choreography on stage, will be restricted."

The group was expected to perform their latest album, "ARIRANG", which was released on Friday and is billed as a reflection of the maturing boy band's Korean identity.

The album sold almost four million copies in the first day, BTS's record label said. Five million fans pre-saved it on Spotify, the most ever for a K-pop act.

"ARIRANG" takes its name from a folk song about longing and separation that is often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

Featuring collaborations with multiple Western artists and producers, the 14 tracks on the album mix rap, heavy beats and experimentation.

"Compared to their earlier work, there's a wider range of genres, which gives it a more mature and expansive feel," impressed fan Lee Ji-young, a university professor, told AFP.

"As always, their lyrics are honest, and through a diverse range of sounds, they give a clear sense of who they are and where they stand right now."

Another fan on Reddit wasn't so impressed.

"I hope they sing some of their old stuff," they said.

Entertainment

Chuck Norris, Roundhouse-kicking Action Star, Dead at 86

(FILES) Actor Chuck Norris speaks with the media during a press conference prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
(FILES) Actor Chuck Norris speaks with the media during a press conference prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
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Chuck Norris, Roundhouse-kicking Action Star, Dead at 86

(FILES) Actor Chuck Norris speaks with the media during a press conference prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
(FILES) Actor Chuck Norris speaks with the media during a press conference prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood tough guy most famous for his role in the "Walker, Texas Ranger" television series, has died, his family said Friday. He was 86.

Norris passed away Thursday morning, the family said on Instagram, after media reports that he had been hospitalized for an undisclosed condition while on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

"To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength," the statement read, according to AFP. "To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family."

The family said it would like to keep the details of Norris's passing private, adding "please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace."

Tributes quickly began pouring in.

"All of Texas mourns the passing of Chuck Norris. He was not only a martial arts champion, action icon, and the one and only Walker, Texas Ranger," said Texas governor Greg Abbott.

"My heart and prayers are with his family. He will never be forgotten," said fellow action movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Born in Ryan, Oklahoma on March 10, 1940, Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris took up martial arts while serving in the US Air Force in South Korea.

He left the Air Force in 1962 and set up a martial arts studio in Los Angeles, finding his calling in teaching and delivering roundhouse kicks.

His acting debut came with a cameo in a 1968 Dean Martin film, "The Wrecking Crew." Four years later, his epic fight with the kung-fu superstar Bruce Lee in "The Way of The Dragon" helped turn Norris into an icon on big and small screen alike.

A slew of leading roles in karate films followed, from a US commando in "Good Guys Wear Black," an all-American riposte to a slew of Hong Kong action flicks harnessing Lee's fame, to the action horror feature "Silent Rage."

As his acting career grew, he became a legendary martial arts figure, winning six world professional middleweight karate championships from 1968 to 1974 and earning black belts in multiple disciplines.

In 1983, Norris slipped into the role of a taciturn Texas ranger waging war against an arms dealer in "Lone Wolf McQuade", which provided the template for the cult TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger."

The show ran for eight seasons and spawned countless action-man jokes and memes, one being that Chuck Norris and Superman had a fight, with the loser (Superman) forced to wear their underpants on the outside.

The success of the bearded, ass-kicking Ranger marked a stunning reversal of fortune for Norris, who grew up a shy, unathletic child, who "used to daydream about being strong... to beat up the bullies."

He had two sons from his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Dianne Holechek, which lasted 30 years, and a son and a daughter with his second wife Gena O'Kelley.

Norris also had a daughter from an affair during his first marriage.