Hayden Panettiere death latest: Hollywood pays tribute to Heroes and Nashville actress dead at 36

Hayden Panettiere GC Images Ekin Karasin | Michael Howie , Senior News Editor 2 minutes ago Tributes are pouring in for US actress Hayden Panettiere , best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville , has died aged 36.

A representative for the actress confirmed the death to US network ABC on Sunday, saying her family would remember her “incredible light” who brought “immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her”.

The statement from her father Skip read: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

Hayden Panettiere arriving for the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast (Niall Carson/PA) “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 also asked that her family be given privacy as they “take time to process this unimaginable loss”.

The 36-year-old began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas before gaining wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans alongside Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.

Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before going on to star as up-and-coming country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on the hit TV series Nashville.

Her performances in Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress, while her singing on the show produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.