Heroes and Nashville actress Hayden Panettiere dies at 36
US actress Hayden Panettiere, known for Heroes and Nashville, has died at age 36. The circumstances of her death have not been disclosed.
American actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in the television series Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36. The news was confirmed by her father, Skip Panettiere, in a statement released through her representative.
"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," the statement said. Her father asked for privacy as the family processes the loss. No details about the cause of death have been made public.
A career that began in childhood
Panettiere began acting at just four years old, landing a role on the long-running American soap opera One Life to Live. She later achieved wider fame playing Claire Bennet, a cheerleader with superpowers, in the sci-fi series Heroes, which aired from 2006 to 2010.
Over a three-decade career, Panettiere appeared in numerous other film and television productions, including Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, the Scream horror franchise, and the romantic comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper.
Earlier this year she published a memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she wrote about the challenges of growing up as a child actor and her experiences with addiction, abuse and recovery.
She is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whose father is Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, Panettiere's former partner.
