While his brother gained fame on screen, Kelly Donovan chose a more private path, keeping his personal life out of the spotlight.
Nicholas Brendon Schultz, born on April 12, 1971, in Los Angeles, California, built a remarkable career in Hollywood despite facing personal struggles throughout his life.
He rose to fame playing Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), appearing in all but one of the show’s 144 episodes across seven seasons.
His compelling performance earned him Saturn Award nominations in 1998 and 1999 for Best Genre TV Actor, and again in 2000 for Best Supporting Actor.
Beyond Sunnydale, Brendon expanded his portfolio with a recurring role as FBI analyst Kevin Lynch on Criminal Minds (2007–2014) and starring parts in independent films like Coherence and Big Gay Love (both 2013).
He also contributed as a writer to the Buffy comic book series and remained an active presence at fan conventions worldwide.
Outside of acting, he pursued visual art, exhibiting and selling his paintings and photography.
Despite battling depression, alcoholism, and a series of legal troubles over the years, Brendon continued to work steadily in the industry.
He passed away on March 20, 2026, from natural causes in San Francisco at the age of 54.
Kelly Donovan, Nicholas Brendon’s Twin Brother, Kept His Personal Life Private
While Nicholas Brendon captured audiences on screen, his identical twin brother, Kelly Donovan, carved out his own quiet but meaningful place in the entertainment world — mostly behind the camera, and occasionally in front of it.
Kelly Donovan was born just three minutes before Nicholas on April 12, 1971, in Los Angeles, California.
The two share the same family background as the eldest of four brothers.
Though Kelly sometimes went by the name Kelly Schultz in early professional credits, he eventually adopted the name Donovan publicly.
Unlike his twin, Kelly stayed largely out of the public spotlight, keeping his personal life — including details about relationships or family of his own — private throughout his career.
Kelly began his entertainment career working in production and art department roles, developing a strong foundation in the technical side of filmmaking.
He worked as a production assistant on The Hard Truth (1994) and later as a set dresser on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where he worked closely alongside his brother.
He also contributed to the art departments of Lovélife (1997) and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), crediting himself as Kelly Schultz in both.
His passion for acting ran parallel to this behind-the-scenes work. He took on a minor role in City Guys (1999), played Jacob across five episodes of Undressed (2000), and appeared in Roads to Riches (2002) and as an extra in Coherence (2013).
He also performed stunt and stand-in work throughout his career, including duties on Alias (2001).
Rather than chasing fame, Kelly balanced his acting ambitions with steady crew work, building a career defined by reliability and versatility.
Kelly’s most recognized work came directly through his role as Nicholas’s identical twin on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Throughout the show’s run from 1997 to 2003, he regularly served as Nicholas’s stand-in, photo double, and occasional stunt double — an arrangement made seamless by their identical appearance.
He stepped on screen in two memorable episodes. In “The Replacement” (Season 5, Episode 3, 2000), Kelly played the “good” version of Xander Harris — the one embodying all of Xander’s virtues and strengths — while Nicholas portrayed the flawed counterpart.
The brothers shared genuine screen time together, and their natural chemistry made the doppelgänger storyline feel convincingly real.
Fans widely regard this episode as one of the series’ standout moments, with many citing the twin casting as the key ingredient that made it work.
As of March 2026, Kelly continues to live privately, away from public attention.
