Hayden Panettiere, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ star, dies at 36

American actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in the television series Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36, her family confirmed through her publicist.

Panettiere was found unresponsive at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to local police.

Authorities said an investigation into her death was under way but that there were no immediate indications of foul play. An excerpt from a 911 call indicated that emergency medical personnel told a dispatcher they were responding to a suspected overdose and attempting to revive an unresponsive woman.

Her death comes just months after the publication of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, released in May. In the book, Panettiere detailed the pressures of growing up in the public eye, the trauma surrounding the birth of her daughter in 2014, and her struggles with postpartum depression and alcohol addiction.

Her father, Alan "Skip" Panettiere, described his daughter as an extraordinary person whose impact extended far beyond her acting career.

"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," he said.

Panettiere began her career as a child performer and gained early recognition for providing the voice of Dot, a 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 later appeared alongside Denzel Washington in the 2000 football drama Remember the Titans, before achieving international fame in NBC's science-fiction drama Heroes.

The series, which premiered in 2006, featured Panettiere as Claire Bennet, a high school cheerleader with extraordinary regenerative powers. The role made her one of the most recognisable young stars on American television.

Panettiere went on to earn two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of country music performer Juliette Barnes in the musical drama Nashville. She received nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in 2013 and 2014.

Her film credits also included appearances in the Scream horror franchise, further establishing her versatility across television and film.

Her final screen appearance came in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, released in January 2026. She played a grieving mother struggling with episodes of sleepwalking.

Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she had with her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko