Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for playing Claire Bennet on NBC's superhero drama Heroes, has died at age 36. Her representative confirmed the death to Deadline but did not immediately disclose the cause.
Panettiere built a career spanning three decades in television and film. She earned widespread recognition for her role as the regenerating cheerleader on Heroes, which ran from 2006 to 2010 and became a cultural phenomenon. The show's ensemble cast and intricate mythology about ordinary people discovering extraordinary powers made her a household name.
Beyond Heroes, Panettiere appeared in the Scream franchise, reprising the role of Kirby Reed in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), bringing her character back to the slasher series after appearing in the 2011 installment. On television, she starred as Juliette Barnes in CMT's country music drama Nashville, where she received critical acclaim during the show's six-season run from 2012 to 2018. Her character navigated the Nashville music scene alongside Connie Britton's Rayna James.
Panettiere also worked in animation, voicing characters and appearing in various television guest roles throughout her career. Her work in Heroes alone cemented her place in the superhero TV canon, arriving at a pivotal moment when network television began investing heavily in serialized genre storytelling.
The actress had been open about personal struggles in recent years, including discussions about her recovery and mental health. She remained active in the industry despite taking breaks from the spotlight.
Her death marks a significant loss for the entertainment community and for the audiences who grew up watching her on Heroes and Nashville. The show Heroes itself experienced a revival in recent years with the limited series Heroes Reborn, though Panettiere did not appear in that project. Her