Hayden Panettiere has opened up about being 'groomed' into becoming a child star, reflecting on her early entry into the entertainment industry. The 36-year-old actress, who recently came out as bisexual, spoke candidly during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of her forthcoming memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, set for release on May 19.
Early Career and 'Grooming'
Panettiere began her acting career at just 11 months old, appearing in a commercial in 1990. She recalled the immense pressure she felt from a young age. 'I think it's the way I was raised. I was groomed,' she said. 'I was like a little soldier and I always have been. No was never an option.' She described her experience as following orders: 'It was just, here are your scenes, here's your dialogue, memorize it, hit the marks, do what your director tells you to do. I took my marching orders.'
Rise to Fame
After early commercial work, Panettiere landed the role of Sarah Roberts on the soap opera One Life To Live, which she played from 1994 to 1997. In 1996, she began portraying Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light. She gained wider recognition as a main cast member on Heroes from 2006 to 2010, and later starred as Juliette Barnes on Nashville. Her film credits include Bring It On: All Or Nothing (2006), I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009), and Scream VI (2023).
Realisation of 'Abnormal' Upbringing
Panettiere admitted that she realised her grooming was 'abnormal' when she turned to self-harm and substance abuse. 'When I started self-harming in the form of substance abuse. My people pleasing had built up and up, it was anger and anxiety and frustration,' she explained. 'My life revolved around other people, and I lived to make other people happy and I was the last one on the list.' The pressure eventually 'exploded,' leading her to find ways to cope. She noted, 'Sometimes they'll say in treatment that, believe it or not, our addictions probably saved us at a certain point.'
Motherhood and Advice for Her Daughter
The actress, who shares 11-year-old daughter Kaya with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, has previously relinquished custody amid her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression. She revealed that Kaya has expressed interest in acting, but Panettiere advises caution: 'I will say, please go to college, please try things out. And if you really love it, then I will support you wholeheartedly. And if she doesn't like it, she can get out. Her world doesn't have to revolve around that.'
Coming Out as Bisexual
Earlier this month, Panettiere came out as bisexual, explaining that it took years due to feeling 'forced to be perfect' to avoid public scrutiny. She told Us Weekly, 'It's sad that I had to wait till I was 36 years old to share that part of me, but better late than never, right? I'm comfortable saying I'm bisexual.' She noted that she dated women in the past but lacked courage due to paparazzi and fear of hiding a relationship. 'I didn't feel confident enough, and I was too afraid to really let that part of me explore,' she said. She also worried about appearing to 'jump on the bandwagon' but wanted to tell her story honestly.
