The curse of Buffy? Inside tragedies that have plagued the show's stars as cast is rocked by third major death

For millions of fans, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a cult classic show packed with supernatural drama and beloved characters. 

But away from the cameras a string of heartbreaking tragedies has affected a number of stars associated with the series, which aired for seven seasons, with fans even dubbing the phenomenon the Buffy curse.

On Friday, Buffy star Anthony Head died at the age of 72 from complications due to pneumonia. 

Head was best known as librarian Rupert Giles in the show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, which ran from 1997 to 2003. 

He is the third prominent cast member to have died in less than two years.

Buffy fans were also devastated in March when it emerged Hulu had suddenly scrapped plans for an upcoming reboot.

The original show, set in the fictional Californian town of Sunnydale, followed teenager Buffy, who attended school by day and hunted evil spirits by night.

A reboot was announced in February 2025 and was due to star Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new slayer, with Sarah reviving Buffy as a recurring character.

But in March it was announced that Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, was no longer going forward - with Gellar and the reboot's director Chloe Zhao said to be 'blindsided' by the cancellation.

The axed reboot was the latest tragedy to befall the world of Buffy, which has seen the original cast blighted by personal woes and its legacy dampened by accusations of on-set abuse, and criticism of problematic storylines.

Following Head's death, the Daily Mail takes a look back at tragedies endured by the show's stars. 

Anthony Head (Rupert Giles) 

Head's death was announced on Friday by his family. The British star's passing comes just six months after that of his partner, the animal therapist and rights campaigner Sarah Fisher, who died of thyroid cancer aged 61.

A statement from his daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy Head, said: 'It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father, Anthony Head.'

'He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family.'

'It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many.

'We know how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues, and fans of the shows he was in – he loved his job very much, and he always considered himself incredibly lucky, to have been able to work alongside such exceptionally talented people, in such wonderful productions, across a career that spanned several decades.'

'Our grief is far greater than the hole he has left behind, but we know his legacy will live on, in the shows he was a part of, and in the audiences that love them.'

'How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us.'

'We kindly ask that our privacy is respected at this difficult time.'

Head's role in Buffy made him famous in the United States, but he left the regular cast during the show's sixth season, only appearing as a guest star until the series concluded.

In a 2016 interview, he credited his long-term partner Sarah with being able to live in Los Angeles for five years as he filmed the show, despite daughters Daisy and Emily being just a few years old.

'I owe an enormous amount to Sarah. She knew I'd always wanted to work in America and when I got the chance, she said, go for it, I'll hold the fort here,' he told The Guardian.

'In hindsight, it gave us all a wealth of opportunity, Buffy ran for seven seasons and I had the best time of my life.

'There were moments, though, when I thought I was insane and I would really struggle. I'd put the song Highway, Highway by Stephen Allen Davis on in my car, and just sit there and weep.'

Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris)

Buffy alum Nicholas Brendon died in March at the age of 54.

He played construction worker Xander Harris in Joss Whedon's supernatural horror drama.

The Putnam County Coroner ruled the actor's death was natural since 90 percent of his right coronary artery was blocked due to atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

Contributing factors included acute pneumonia and a heart attack Brendon (born Schultz) had suffered in 2023 after being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

The longtime smoker had also undergone several spinal surgeries in his lifetime due to cauda equina syndrome.

Brendon's female friend found him unresponsive on March 20 around 8am at his home in Greencastle, Indiana and immediately called police and let them know he'd been coughing and suffering chest pains but declined to go to the hospital.

The twice-divorced star - who struggled with depression since childhood - had been arrested multiple times on charges like felony vandalism, public intoxication, grand theft and felony corporal injury to a spouse. 

Brendon had publicly sought help from Dr. Phil and Dr. Drew Pinsky as well as completing at least four rehab stints in his sobriety journey. 

Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers)

Michelle Trachtenberg, who famously portrayed Dawn Summers - the younger sister of Gellar's Buffy Summers - died on February 26, 2025 at age 39.

She died due to complications from diabetes mellitus. Officials cited lab results in declaring their findings to the Daily Mail and classified the death as natural. 

In the months prior to her passing, Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant.

Authorities with the New York Police Department previously told the Daily Mail that officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 8:01 a.m. on February 26, 2025, to 1 Columbus Place in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.

'Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased,' police said in a statement at the time. 'Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.'

Her relatives had cited religious reasons for not wanting the results of her autopsy made public.

Trachtenberg began her career as a child performer and went on to become a household name thanks to roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl.

On the latter, she portrayed scheming socialite Georgina Sparks opposite Blake Lively's Serena van der Woodsen from 2007 to 2012.

Glenn Quinn (Allen Francis Doyle)

Irish actor Glenn Quinn, who starred as the half-demon Allen Francis Doyle on Angel, a spin-off series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, died in 2002 at the age of 32.

Quinn - who struggled with substance addiction - was found dead at a friend's home in North Hollywood, California, where he had been staying.

His autopsy revealed that he died from an accidental drug overdose.

The actor featured in 11 episodes during Angel's debut season. 

He is also known for his portrayal of Mark Healy on the 1990s sitcom Roseanne.

Andy Hallett (Lorne)

Andrew Alcott Hallett played Lorne - an anagogic demon - on Angel from 2000 until 2004, and had also appeared as an extra in a 1999 episode of Buffy.

The actor died at just 33 years of age.

Hallett's health battles began just a month after filming the last episode of Angel, when a dental infection spread through his bloodstream to his heart.

The infection triggered a case of cardiomyopathy that landed him in the hospital for five days.

The illness permanently weakened his heart muscle and valves, leaving him easily fatigued.

After a five-year battle and three subsequent hospitalizations, Hallett died from congestive heart failure on March 29, 2009. He died at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

Frequently showcasing his vocal talents on the show, he performed two tracks on the series' 2005 soundtrack album, Angel: Live Fast, Die Never.

He appeared in 76 of the show's 110 episodes.

Transforming into the character was a big undertaking, requiring intricate prosthetic makeup and detailed coloring across his face, neck, and hands. The extensive process took two and a half hours.

Luke Perry (Oliver Pike)

Beverly Hills 90210 star Luke Perry - who played Buffy's love interest and sidekick Oliver Pike in the 1992 film - died at age 52 in 2019, five days after he was hospitalized following a massive stroke.

The actor had been rushed to a California hospital from his home in Sherman Oaks, and remained there until his death. He is survived by his son Jack and daughter Sophie from his marriage to ex-wife Rachel Minnie Sharp.

Perry got his start with a 10 episode stint on the popular soap Another World, but shot to fame in the early 1990s thanks to his role on 90210.

That show ran for 10 seasons beginning in 1990 and still lives on in reruns, with Perry filming 199 episodes.

He played the show's leading man, the handsome loner Dylan McKay, alongside co-stars Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley and Tori Spelling.

At the same time, he also appeared in a number of films, including the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Fifth Element and Scorchers.

He was also an accomplished voice actor, filming episodes for animated series including Mortal Kombat, The Simpsons, Johnny Bravo, The Incredible Hulk and more.

In the wake of 90210 he appeared on a number of TV shows, including Oz, Windfall and John From Cincinnati, but none that reached the heights of 90210.

He had starred on the CW series Riverdale up until his death, and had filmed a role in Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood alongside Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie.

John Ritter (Ted Buchanan)

John Ritter starred as Buffy's mom's creepy robot boyfriend Ted Buchanan in Season 2.

Ritter died in September 2003 at age 54 from an aortic dissection.

He was in the middle of rehearsals for 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter at Burbank's Walt Disney Studios on September 11 when he suddenly fell ill with chest pains, nausea, and heavy sweating.

Doctors initially treated Ritter for what they assumed was a heart attack, but his condition quickly took a turn for the worse.

After being diagnosed with an aortic dissection, he was taken into surgery but passed away later that evening.

The actor also famously played Jack Tripper on the popular ABC sitcom Three's Company from 1977 until 1984. He received a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the role in 1984.

Robin Sachs (Ethan Rayne)

English actor Robin Sachs starred as warlock Ethan Rayne on four episodes of Buffy.

He reprised his role voice acting Ethan in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer video game Chaos Bleeds.

The actor died after a heart attack on February 1 in 2013, four days before his 62nd birthday.

Rutger Hauer (Lothos)

Dutch actor Rutger Hauer starred as Lothos in the 1992 Buffy film, where he played the main antagonist, vampire Lothos.

Hauer made a name for himself in supernatural and horror projects but his most notable and beloved role came as Roy Batty, the murderous synthentic-human nemesis of Harrison Ford in 1982’s Blade Runner.

He reportedly rewrote the dialogue for his final monologue in the film as his character passes away - improvising the movie's most famous line.

‘I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe,’ his character says in the rain-soaked soliloquy, reflecting on his brief artificial existence.

‘All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.’

Hauer’s introspective performance, combined with Ridley Scott’s directorial prowess, went on to cement the scene as one of the most iconic moments in Sci-Fi cinema history. 

He died in July 2019 at age 75.

Despite portraying a number of Hollywood’s most iconic villains, in a statement Hauer's agent, Steve Kenis, described the actor as a ‘great guy’ off-screen and commended his extraordinary acting talent. 

Paul Reubens (Amilyn)

Paul Reubens, best known for his iconic role as Pee-wee Herman, had a small part of vampire minion Amilyn in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film in 1992.

Reubens died from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in July 2023 at age 70. In addition to blood cancer, he 'was also battling metastatic lung cancer.'

Reubens created the beloved Pee-wee Herman with the late Phil Hartman, which led to an HBO special in 1981 and his 1985 movie Pee-wee's Big Adventure.

That led to his hit TV series Pee-wee's Playhouse, which ran from 1986 to 1991, along with the 1988 movie Big-Top Pee-wee.

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner all but retired Pee-wee following his 1991 arrest for indecent exposure at a Sarasota, Florida, adult movie theater.

He was detained by a detective after leaving the theater - and was subject to ridicule in the following months.

Toys 'R' Us removed Pee-wee toys from its stores as a result of his arrest.

He denied the charges, and pleaded no contest. The actor was ordered to complete 75 hours of community service.

A 2002 police raid on Paul's house led to a child pornography charge that was later reduced to a count of possession of obscenity.

Reubens later claimed he was an erotica collector - and had a stash films and magazines, as well as a sizable collection of mostly homosexual vintage erotica.

For the three years after he pleaded guilty to the obscenity charge in 2004, he was required to register his address with the sheriff's office.