Hayden Panettiere: American actress dies at 36

American actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36, US media reported on Sunday, citing a statement from her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere.

Her father described her as an “incredible light” who brought love and joy to her family, friends and millions of viewers. The cause of death was not immediately reported.

Panettiere began her career as a child actor and gained early recognition for voicing Dot in Pixar’s 1998 animated film A Bug’s Life. Her work on the film’s read-along album earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.

She rose to international fame in 2006 after playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in NBC’s superhero drama Heroes. She also appeared in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans, starring Denzel Washington.

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Panettiere later earned two Golden Globe nominations for her role as Juliette Barnes in the musical drama Nashville. She also appeared in the Scream horror franchise.

Her most recent film appearance came in Sleepwalker, a psychological thriller released in the United States in January 2026, according to IMDb.

Panettiere’s death comes three years after the death of her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at the age of 28. A family statement later said he died from complications linked to an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition.