Actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for “Nashville” and “Heroes,” died at 36.
Her representative confirmed the news on Sunday to ABC News, calling her “an incredible light and a force of nature.”
Early Life and Career
Born in New York to actress‑producer Lesley Vogel and retired FDNY captain Alan Lee “Skip” Panettiere, she began acting at 11 months old in a Playskool Toy Train commercial.
She later appeared in guest spots on soap operas and “Law & Order: SVU,” building a foundation before her breakout role.
Rise to Stardom
Landing the role of Claire Bennet, the indestructible cheerleader on NBC’s “Heroes,” catapulted her to fame in 2006.
After “Heroes” ended in 2010, she starred in “Nashville” from 2012 to 2018, cementing her status as a television lead.
Personal Challenges and Legacy
Panettiere openly discussed battles with substance abuse and postpartum depression, publishing her memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning” in May.
She shared a daughter, Kaya, with ex‑heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, and mourned the loss of her brother Jansen Panettierre, who died in 2023 from cardiomegaly and aortic valve complications.
No cause of death has been announced for the actress.
