In a tragic turn of events reported on Monday morning, the entertainment world has lost actress Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36. Widely recognized for her roles in popular network television series and films since her debut as a child star, Panettiere’s passing on August 16 has left fans and colleagues mourning.
Earlier in 2023, Panettiere released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, shedding light on her personal struggles with industry exploitation, maintaining sobriety, and the challenging facets of her career in Hollywood. Despite her young age, Panettiere boasted an expansive career, featuring more than 100 episodes across various TV shows. Tributes have poured in from co-stars like Viola Davis, David Arquette, and Melissa Barrera, who shared heartfelt messages and memories on social media. With her untimely departure, many fans are expected to revisit her acclaimed projects as a testament to her remarkable talent.
Panettiere’s prominence skyrocketed with her role as Claire Bennet in the NBC superhero drama Heroes, where she portrayed a cheerleader with incredible regenerative powers. Following this, she captivated audiences as country singer Juliette Barnes on ABC’s Nashville, showcasing her vocal prowess. Both series are currently available on Netflix among other budget-friendly streaming services, offering fans a chance to relive her standout performances. Beyond these shows, she forged a memorable presence in a celebrated slasher franchise and participated in numerous family films, cementing her status as a beloved TV star.
Below, we’ve curated a chronological list celebrating some of Panettiere’s finest and renowned works, alongside details on where to stream them.
Streaming on: Disney+
One of Panettiere’s first big-screen roles was in a widely seen box office smash, though even some fans may not realize that it was her: She plays the adorable Princess Dot, the younger sister of Princes Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in Pixar’s delightful animated comedy A Bug’s Life. (Both Dot and Atta are ants.) Recording her part somewhere around the age of eight, Panettiere has a mix of child-actor professionalism and natural sweetness that somehow makes this cartoon ant feel like a real kid.
Stream A Bug’s Life on Disney+
Streaming on: Disney+
Sticking with Disney, Panettiere played the feisty daughter of high school football coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton), working under new head coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) in this heartwarming sports drama and period piece. As a pint-sized football enthusiast, she holds her own in several scenes opposite Washington.
Stream Remember the TItans on Disney+
Streaming on: Disney+
One more Disney project before the dawn of Heroes: Alongside the similarly beloved and gone-too-soon star Michelle Trachtenberg, Panettiere plays a teenage ice skater in this wholesome sleepover classic.
Stream Ice Princess on Disney+
Streaming on: Netflix, or free with ads on Tubi
This network-drama riff on the X-Men, with a group of variously superpowered characters coming together to save the world, was sold in large part on the charisma of a still-young Panettiere, who played a fast-healing high school cheerleader (hence the famous “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” tagline used to advertise the show, as well as within the show’s story).
The show was a massive success at first, only to do a fast fade around its third season, and was canceled after its fourth. But it still produced 73 episodes (in today’s streaming environment, that’s the equivalent of, what, seven seasons?), and Panetierre is featured across the full run; her unofficial variation on the Wolverine character from Marvel Comics was largely recognized as one of the show’s most novel twists on familiar superhero material.
Stream Heroes on Tubi
Streaming on: Currently only available to rent or purchase
Heroes largely kept Panetierre busy while it was on the air, but she did score one prominent leading film role in this adaptation of Larry Doyle’s very funny coming-of-age novel about a high school nerd unexpectedly getting to spend some time with his dream girl, played by Panetierre. The movie itself is not nearly as funny as the book (it doesn’t help that the teenage lead is played by a guy pushing 30), but Panetierre is confident, charming, and even a bit nuanced as the stereotypical dream girl.
Streaming on: Paramount+ has both; Scream VI is also on Netflix
Scream 4 has the strange distinction of being the only movie in the series so far that wasn’t a substantial hit; it seemed to arrive a little too soon to work as a nostalgic legacy sequel but a little too late to capture the original-trilogy magic. That said, it’s become a fan favorite, and even those who don’t cherish it seem to agree that Panetierre’s Kirby Reed is a major highlight: a scrappy and stylish horror geek more instantly likable than just about anyone else in the cast.
For years, Kirby fans insisted that we didn’t actually see her die on screen, and that she could be back for later sequels; the fifth Scream, released in 2022, made reference to her being alive, and the filmmakers made good on that implicit promise by bringing her back as an FBI agent in Scream VI, the kind of revival that gives fan service a good name.
Streaming on: Netflix
Panettiere’s second big primetime series wasn’t quite the same level of sensation as the early years of Heroes, but it proved a more consistent performer, both critically and in the ratings. (Its first four seasons in particular had enviably steady popularity for a network show of the late 2010s, before a premature cancellation sent the series over to CMT and Hulu for two more seasons.) It was arguably Panettiere’s strongest and most consistent showcase for her grown-up acting skills, not to mention her singing voice.
Stream Nashville on netflix
For more of Panettiere, fans can also check out her final film, the 2026 thriller Sleepwalker, available for rental and purchase.