Actress Hayden Panettiere, who rose to fame as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC series “Heroes” and later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes on “Nashville,” died Sunday at age 36.
Panettiere’s death was confirmed by her representative. A cause of death was not immediately announced. It was also unclear where and how she died.
TMZ reported that law enforcement officers responded Sunday to an incident involving Panettiere, and that an investigation was underway.
Born Aug. 21, 1989, in Palisades, New York, Panettiere began appearing in commercials when she was 11 months old and went on to appear as a child actress on the soap operas “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light.”
She played Sheryl Yoast, the daughter of a high school football coach, in the 2000 film “Remember the Titans” before gaining widespread recognition as Claire Bennet on “Heroes,” which ran from 2006 to 2010.
Panettiere later starred opposite Connie Britton on the musical drama “Nashville,” portraying country singer Juliette Barnes. The role earned Panettiere two Golden Globe nominations. Her film credits also include “Raising Helen,” “Racing Stripes,” “Ice Princess,” “Bring It On: All or Nothing” and “I Love You, Beth Cooper.” Panettiere also played Kirby Reed in the 2011 horror film “Scream 4” and reprised the role in 2023’s “Scream VI.”
In May, Panettiere released a memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning.”
Panettiere is survived by a daughter, Kaya, whose age was not disclosed.