Hayden Panettiere, Star of Heroes and Kingdom Hearts, Dies at 36
Overview & Key Takeaways
The actor known for roles in Heroes, Nashville, Until Dawn, and Kingdom Hearts as Kairi has died at age 36, according to Hayden Panettiere's father.
Hayden Panettiere, the actor known for her television roles in Heroes and Nashville and in games Until Dawn and Kingdom Hearts, has died at 36.
Panettiere's death was confirmed in a statement shared by her father, Skip Panettiere. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," the statement reads. "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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss."
The cause of Panettiere's death has not been officially confirmed.
Panettiere's career as an actor in commercials, television, and voice work began when she was very young. She first appeared in commercials at 11 months old and joined the cast of the soap opera One Life to Live at age 4. But she is best known for her roles as superpowered cheerleader Claire Bennett in NBC's Heroes and as rising country music star Juliette Barnes in Nashville. Panettiere's film credits include Remember the Titans, Scream 4, and Scream 6.
She also had a prominent career as a voice actor, including roles in Pixar's A Bug's Life and in multiple video games, including PlayStation games The Mark of Kri and Until Dawn. Panettiere was also a fixture in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, voicing Kairi and Xion in the original Kingdom Hearts and sequels Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.
The actor released a memoir earlier this year titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she recounted her Hollywood career and addressed her struggles with postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, body dysmorphia, and domestic abuse.
