Hayden Panettiere, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ actress, dies at 36, U.S. media reports

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American actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her ​roles in TV shows such as “Nashville” and “Heroes,” has died at ‌the age of 36, U.S. media outlets reported on Sunday (August 16, 2026), citing a ⁠statement from her father.

“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,” ABC quoted her ⁠father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, in the statement.

The cause of her death was not reported. Her agency did not immediately respond ​to a request for ‌comment from Reuters .

A former child actor, Ms. Panettiere gained widespread recognition voicing Dot, the young princess ant in Pixar’s 1998 animated hit “A Bug’s Life.” Her work on ‌the film’s read-along album earned a Grammy nomination ​for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.

She shot to fame playing the high school ⁠cheerleader with superpowers, Claire Bennet, on NBC’s serialized hit “Heroes,” which debuted in 2006. She also appeared in the ‌2000 football drama “Remember the Titans,” starring Denzel Washington.

Ms. Panettiere earned two 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”.

Ms. Panettiere’s most recent appearance ​was in the psychological thriller “Sleepwalker,” released in the U.S. in January 2026, in which she played ⁠a grieving mother plagued by sleepwalking episodes, according to ⁠website IMDb.

Her brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at 28 from complications related to ‌an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition, according to a family statement made to U.S. media later ​that year.

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