Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Lesley Panettiere, born on August 21, 1989, is an American actress and singer celebrated for her leading roles as Claire Bennet on the NBC superhero series Heroes (2006–2010) and Juliette Barnes in the ABC/CMT musical drama series Nashville (2012–2018). Her portrayal of Juliette Barnes garnered her two nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film. Additionally, she is known for her appearance in the slasher horror franchise Scream, where she played the character Kirby Reed.


Hailing from Palisades, New York, Panettiere made her debut on-screen at a tender age, featuring in a commercial at just 11 months old in 1990. Her full-fledged acting career commenced in 1994 with her role as Sarah Roberts on the long-standing ABC soap opera series One Life to Live, which she portrayed until 1997. Subsequently, she portrayed Lizzie Spaulding on CBS's soap opera Guiding Light from 1996 to 2000. Notably, her performance in the Pixar film A Bug's Life (1998) earned her nominations for a Young Artist Award and a Grammy Award, making her the fifth youngest artist ever to receive a Grammy nomination.


Panettiere's diverse repertoire includes appearances in various films such as the Disney football drama Remember the Titans (2000), the final season of the Fox legal comedy-drama Ally McBeal (2002), the comedy-drama Raising Helen (2004), the Disney Channel original film Tiger Cruise (2004), the horse racing comedy Racing Stripes (2005), the figure skating drama Ice Princess (2005), the teen cheerleading film Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006), the romantic comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009), the true crime drama Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy (2011), and the drama Custody (2016). She has also lent her voice to characters in video game series like Kingdom Hearts (2002–2017), where she voiced Kairi and Xion, and Until Dawn (2015), where she portrayed Samantha "Sam" Giddings.


Panettiere was born and partially raised in Palisades, New York. Her parents are Lesley R. Vogel, a former soap opera actress, and Alan Lee "Skip" Panettiere, a captain in the New York City Fire Department. She is of partial Italian descent. Panettiere had one younger brother, fellow actor Jansen Panettiere, who tragically passed away in 2023 due to complications from enlarged heart syndrome; he was 28 years old at the time. Her mother's family resides in Indiana.
Panettiere attended South Orangetown Middle School in New York before transitioning to homeschooling. Throughout high school, she had private tutors to accommodate her acting schedule, ensuring she could pursue her passion while completing her education.


Panettiere's career commenced early, with her first appearance in commercials at the tender age of eleven months, starting with an advertisement for a Playskool toy train. Her journey into television began with the role of Sarah Roberts on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, which she portrayed from 1994 to 1997. This was followed by her portrayal of Lizzie Spaulding on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light in 1996, and again from 1997 to 2000. During her time on Guiding Light, Panettiere's character Lizzie faced leukemia, drawing attention to the disease and earning her the Special Recognition Award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for her contribution to raising awareness.


Her talent garnered recognition when she was nominated for the Young Artist Award for her performance in Lifetime Television's 1999 TV movie If You Believe. Panettiere further showcased her versatility with appearances on Fox's Ally McBeal, HBO Films' Normal, a recurring guest role on Malcolm in the Middle, and guest-starring roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Panettiere rose to prominence with her portrayal of Claire Bennet in the NBC series Heroes, where she played a high school cheerleader with regenerative healing powers. This role propelled her into the science fiction convention circuit, where she attended conventions worldwide. Despite her success, Panettiere expressed frustration at being typecast, feeling confined to roles as the popular cheerleader or the blonde stereotype.


In 2007, Panettiere appeared on the MTV show Punk'd in an episode orchestrated by her mother, involving a staged encounter with a male "fan" to provoke jealousy from his spouse. Additionally, she hosted an episode of the series in April 2012.
March 2012 marked a significant career milestone for Panettiere, as she was cast opposite Connie Britton in the ABC musical drama series Nashville, portraying the character Juliette Barnes. The show, which aired on ABC before moving to CMT for its final seasons, concluded its run on July 26, 2018.


Panettiere's career in feature films began at a young age, with her voice acting debut at nine years old in 1998's A Bug's Life. Her first released film was The Object of My Affection (1998), where she made a brief appearance as a mermaid in the school play scene at the age of eight. The following year, she played a pivotal role as the girl on a sinking sailboat in Message in a Bottle (1999) and portrayed Sheryl, Coach Yoast's daughter, in Disney's Remember the Titans (2000).


In 2004, Panettiere took on leading roles in Disney Channel's Tiger Cruise, where she played the daughter of actor Bill Pullman's character, and in the fantasy film The Dust Factory, alongside Ryan Kelley. She also appeared as Kate Hudson's adolescent niece in Raising Helen (2004), sharing the screen with real-life siblings Abigail and Spencer Breslin.
The year 2005 saw Panettiere starring opposite Michelle Trachtenberg in Disney's Ice Princess and leading the cast as Channing Walsh in Racing Stripes. In 2006, she played a cheerleader in Bring It On: All or Nothing and had a supporting role in the independent film Shanghai Kiss as Adelaide Bourbon.


Panettiere's career continued to flourish as she signed with the William Morris Agency in June 2007. She earned an estimated $2 million in 2007, according to Forbes. In subsequent years, she appeared in various films, including Fireflies in the Garden (2008), I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009), and Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy (2010), where she portrayed Amanda Knox. She also lent her voice to the character Kate in Alpha and Omega (2010).
In 2011, Panettiere impressed audiences with her role as Kirby Reed in the Scream sequel, Scream 4. She also replaced Anne Hathaway as the voice of Red in Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil. Over the years, she continued to work in films like Custody (2015) alongside Viola Davis.


In January 2022, Panettiere briefly reprised her role as Kirby Reed in the Scream sequel Scream, appearing in a photograph used in the film. This marked her return to the franchise, with plans for her involvement in the sixth installment announced in May 2022, marking her first on-screen film appearance since 2018 after a career hiatus.

References

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