{"id":858166,"date":"2026-08-17T06:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T06:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/858166\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T06:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T06:52:14","slug":"hayden-panettiere-who-starred-in-heroes-and-nashville-dies-at-36","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/858166\/","title":{"rendered":"Hayden Panettiere, who starred in Heroes and Nashville, dies at 36"},"content":{"rendered":"

American actor Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, according to reports by US media.<\/p>\n

She was best known for TV shows such as Nashville and Heroes.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Hayden Panettiere played Juliette in Nashville. (Supplied: Lionsgate)<\/p>\n

In a statement provided to US outlet ABC News, Panettiere’s father, Skip, said his daughter was “a force of nature”.<\/p>\n

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said.<\/p>\n

“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 on-screen.”<\/p>\n

No cause of death was announced, and a publicist for the actor did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press.<\/p>\n

\"Hayden<\/p>\n

Hayden Panettiere at the 21st Annual Critics’ Choice Awards in 2016. (Reuters: Danny Moloshok)<\/p>\n

Panettiere had a prolific career dating back to 1996, and her credits included the voice of Dot in A Bug’s Life, Remember the Titans and Scream VI.<\/p>\n

A former child actor, Panettiere gained widespread recognition voicing Dot in Pixar’s 1998 animated hit. Her work on the film’s read-along album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.<\/p>\n

Her role as a cheerleader with superpowers in Heroes propelled her to fame, with the series revolving around the mantra,”Save the cheerleader, save the world”.<\/p>\n

“I think Heroes is really hot because it’s just a really great combination of everything that people love. They love reality, they love sci-fi and things like X-Men, where they get to dream of something bigger,” Panettiere told The Associated Press in 2008.<\/p>\n

“And at the core of it are these human stories that people can relate to, very rugged. And it’s just grabbed everyone in every age group.”<\/p>\n

\"Hayden<\/p>\n

Hayden Panettiere did all her own singing on Nashville. (Supplied: Lionsgate)<\/p>\n

In Nashville, she starred asfictional country singer Juliette Barnes. The musical drama series ran from 2012 to 2018.<\/p>\n

Panettiere sang all of her character’s songs, and her performance earned her two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 and 2014.<\/p>\n

The actor’s most recent appearance was in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, released in the US in January 2026.<\/p>\n

She had been open about her struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, including after the birth of her daughter in 2014.<\/p>\n

In a memoir published this year titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, she wrote about her decision to give full custody of her daughter to her former partner, boxer Wladimir Klitschko.<\/p>\n

Her brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at 28 from complications related to an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition, according to a family statement made to US media later that year.<\/p>\n

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