Actress and singer Hayden Panettiere has tragically died at the age of 36. Her father, Skip Panettiere, released a statement to NBC News, which read: "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her - and to the millions who watched her onscreen." A cause of death has not been reported, and the family have asked for privacy as they "process this unimaginable loss."
Early career and breakthrough
The star, hailing from South Carolina, started off her career as a child star when she was just four years old after she was cast in the US soap One Life to Live. She appeared across 27 episodes between 1994 and 1997, before going on to feature in small roles in various projects, including Touched by an Angel, Kevin Costner movie Message in a Bottle, Malcolm the Middle, and Denzel Washington's Remember the Titans, as well as lending her voice to animated features like A Bug's Life and Dinosaur.
However, it was the sci-fi series Heroes that propelled her into the spotlight and turned her into a household name. Here's a look back at some of Panettiere's biggest roles over the years.
I Love You, Beth Cooper and Ally McBeal
Prior to hitting the big time in Heroes, Panettiere was booked and busy with a steady stream of roles. She took on the eponymous part of Beth Cooper in the 2009 romcom I Love You, Beth Cooper. The movie followed a hopeless romantic high school student trying to win over the affections of Panettiere's head cheerleader, despite her already having a boyfriend. In typical American teen-movie fashion, chaos ensued at a house party, with a sweet ending.
Panettiere also featured in the legal comedy-drama Ally McBeal in the fifth and final season, portraying Maddie Harrington, the teen daughter of the show's titular attorney after a mix-up at the egg bank.
Heroes and Nashville
Science fiction series Heroes saw Panettiere play high school cheerleader Claire Bennet, who was key to the plot with the phrase "save the cheerleader, save the world" being repeated throughout the show. Heroes followed a group of people from around the world, who slowly discovered they had superhuman abilities, as a shadowy organisation known as The Company came after them. The show, which also starred Sendhil Ramamurthy, Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka, and Adrian Pasdar, ran for four seasons, with Panettiere winning a Saturn and a Teen Choice Award for her performance as well as two Golden Globe nominations.
The actor's next big hit was the TV series Nashville, charting the lives of various Country and Western singers in Nashville, Tennessee. Panettiere played an up-and-coming singer Juliette Barnes across all six seasons of Nashville. The show also starred American Horror Story and Spin City actress Connie Britton, English actor Sam Palladio, Without a Trace's Eric Close, and Outer Banks star Charles Esten, among others.
Film roles and later career
Panettiere gained further recognition after joining Wes Craven's slasher horror franchise for Scream IV in 2011. She later went on to appear in Scream VI with original star Courtney Cox, Melissa Barrera, and Jenna Ortega. Following on from this, the actress had roles in the likes of Amber Alert, video game Until Dawn, and A Breed Apart. As per IMDb, her last credited screen role was in this year's Sleepwalker.
Panettiere had gone through various personal struggles away from the cameras over the years. She was previously in a relationship with boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko and engaged, with Panettiere giving birth to their daughter in 2014. Panettiere previously spoke out about suffering from postpartum depression after the birth of her child. In 2018, it was confirmed that Panettiere and Klitschko were no longer together. She also relinquished full custody of their daughter to the sportsman due to struggling with her long-term postpartum depression and addiction. Despite the pair being separated, they remained on good terms as they co-parented their child.
The actress was due to release her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning and had a press tour scheduled at the time of her death. According to Headline Publishing, which was releasing the memoir, the book was a "remarkably candid" insight into the star's life from childhood fame to loss. In the memoir, Panettiere discussed "postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma" and didn't hold back.
