Actress Hayden Panettiere dies aged 36, family says

Washington, United States. American actress Hayden Panettiere, known for television roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” has died aged 36, her family said in a statement issued by her publicist on Sunday.

No cause of death was stated. Her publicist, Kasey Kitchen, told NBC News that the death was being investigated.

Family and union tributes

“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,” her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, said.

SAG-AFTRA, the screen actors’ union, said it was mourning her sudden passing. Panettiere had been a member of the union since 1994.

“Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends and fans,” the union said.

Career

A former child actor, Panettiere gained recognition as the voice of Dot, the young princess ant 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 appeared in the 2000 football drama “Remember the Titans,” starring Denzel Washington, before gaining wider recognition as Claire Bennet, a high school cheerleader with superpowers, in NBC’s “Heroes,” which debuted in 2006.

Panettiere received Golden Globe nominations in 2013 and 2014 for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her role as Juliette Barnes in the musical drama “Nashville.”

She also appeared in the “Scream” satirical horror franchise.

Recent work and memoir

Her most recent appearance was in the psychological thriller “Sleepwalker,” released in January 2026, according to IMDb. She played a grieving mother affected by sleepwalking episodes.

Her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” released in May, addressed the trauma surrounding the difficult 2014 birth of her daughter and her subsequent struggles with postpartum depression and alcohol addiction.