The world was saddened Sunday night to learn of the death of “Heroes,” “Scream 4,” and “Nashville” star Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36. While the cause of death isn’t official, the Greenville Police Department confirmed on Monday morning that no foul play was suspected, and People reported that officials were heard on the 911 call using the words “overdose” and “cardiac arrest,” making an undeniable tragedy even sadder. A friend and colleague at Variety, Marlow Stern put it perfectly in his piece last night titled “Hollywood Failed Hayden Panettiere.” He cites several heartbreaking passages from Panettiere’s memoir, This is Me: A Reckoning, released in May of this year, in which the star chronicled a history of abuse, alcoholism, and depression. So many of her colleagues and co-stars this morning are sharing their memories of the star, commenting on what a bright light she was on set and in the community. It’s a tragedy that her light is gone.
Sadly, Hayden Panettiere is another story of a child actress who wasn’t protected enough as she grew up on screen. Her first credit was actually in a Playskool commercial when she wasn’t even a year old. At the age of five, she started performing on “One Life to Live,” maintaining the role until 1997, and jumping soap operas to “Guiding Light” from 1996 to 2000. When she landed what many consider her breakthough role in the NBC mega-hit “Heroes” in 2006, she had already amassed an insane resume for a teenager, appearing in “Ally McBeal,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Remember the Titans,” “Ice Princess,” “Racing Stripes,” and voice work for “A Bug’s Life” and “Dinosaur.”
But it was the words “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” that made Panettiere a household name. The first season of “Heroes” was the kind of phenomenon that doesn’t really seem possible on network TV twenty years later, averaging 14.3 million viewers, the highest rating for a new NBC show in five years. It was the network’s biggest hit of the 2006-2007 season, old or new, and it made Panettiere a fixture at events like Comic-Con and Fan Expo for the rest of her life. That the show kind of dissolved in season two and sputtered through two more after that didn’t help Panettiere avoid typecasting as “the cheerleader,” but she broke out of that in 2012 with another solid ABC hit in the drama “Nashville,” which ran for six successful seasons.
On film, she was a highlight of “Scream 4,” returning to the franchise after a break from acting to appear in “Scream 6.” She did some strong voice work throughout her career, including “Alpha and Omega” and “Hoodwinked Too!,” but gamers will always remember her as a major character in the hit “Until Dawn,” as well as voice work in four “Kingdom Hearts” entries.
Hayden Panettiere was also an activist, supporting Save the Whales campaigns and encouraging young people to vote. She was a teen ambassador for the Candie’s Foundation and fought for victims of domestic violence. She used her star power for good.
Even before her memoir, Panettiere was open about her struggles, discussing post-partum depression on television, and even revealing that the condition, along with her addiction issues, forced her to give up custody of her daughter.
On Sunday night, Hayden Panettiere’s father wrote in a statement to the BBC: “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.”
Our deepest condolences to her friends, family, and fans.
