Hayden Panettiere, star of ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’, dies at 36

American actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville”, has died at age 36.

Her representative confirmed her death on Sunday, saying in a statement that Panettiere had been “an incredible light and a force of nature” who brought joy to those who knew her and to audiences around the world.

No cause of death has been disclosed, according to US reports.

Born in New York on Aug 21, 1989, Panettiere began appearing in commercials before her first birthday and later acted in the soap operas “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light”.

Her breakthrough came in 2006 as Claire Bennet, the seemingly indestructible cheerleader in the superhero drama “Heroes”.

She later won further acclaim as troubled country singer Juliette Barnes in “Nashville”, a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations.

Panettiere also appeared in films including “Remember the Titans”, “I Love You, Beth Cooper” and “Scream 4”, and lent her voice to animated projects such as “A Bug’s Life”.

In May this year, she published the memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning”, in which she reflected on child stardom, motherhood, addiction, postpartum depression, and the death of her younger brother Jansen Panettiere in 2023.