The former child performer also appeared in “Remember the Titans” and the “Scream” franchise and earned two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of country singer Juliette Barnes.

Hayden Panettiere, the actress who rose to international prominence as the indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes before starring as troubled country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville, has died. She was 36.

Panettiere died Sunday, her representative confirmed in a statement issued on behalf of her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere. A cause of death was not disclosed, and further circumstances surrounding her death were under investigation.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father said.

He remembered his daughter as an “incredible light and a force of nature” who brought joy to those who knew her and to the millions who watched her work.

Born Aug. 21, 1989, Panettiere began appearing in commercials as a baby and established a professional acting career while still a child. She joined the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live in 1994 and later played Lizzie Spaulding on CBS’ Guiding Light.

Her early film work included voicing Princess Dot in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life and playing Sheryl Yoast, the football-obsessed daughter of assistant coach Bill Yoast, in Disney’s 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans. She subsequently appeared in Raising Helen, Racing Stripes and Ice Princess.

Panettiere became a breakout television star in 2006 when she was cast as Claire Bennet on Heroes. Her character, a Texas high school cheerleader with regenerative powers, became central to the mythology and marketing of the NBC superhero drama.

The series became an international phenomenon during its first season, and Panettiere’s performance earned her three Teen Choice Awards. She remained with the show throughout its four-season run, which concluded in 2010.

She joined ABC’s musical drama Nashville in 2012 as Juliette Barnes, an ambitious young country star whose public success was frequently undermined by her turbulent private life. Panettiere starred opposite Connie Britton across all six seasons as the series moved from ABC to CMT.

The role allowed Panettiere to combine acting and music, with several of her recordings from the series reaching Billboard’s country charts. Her performance earned Golden Globe nominations in 2013 and 2014 for best supporting actress in a television series.

Her other notable film credits included I Love You, Beth Cooper and Wes Craven’s Scream 4, in which she played horror-film enthusiast Kirby Reed. Panettiere reprised the fan-favorite role more than a decade later in Scream VI, marking her return to acting after a four-year absence.

Her later projects included the thriller Amber Alert, horror comedy A Breed Apart and psychological drama Sleepwalker, released in January.

Panettiere was also candid about the difficulties she experienced away from the screen, including postpartum depression and struggles with alcohol and substance abuse. She entered treatment in 2015 while working on Nashville and later spoke publicly about her recovery.

In May, she published the memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, addressing her experience of childhood fame, mental health, addiction, motherhood and the death of her younger brother, actor and artist Jansen Panettiere.

Jansen died in 2023 at age 28 from complications associated with an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition. Panettiere subsequently described the loss of her only sibling as life-altering.

SAG-AFTRA, of which Panettiere had been a member since 1994, said in a statement that the union joined in mourning her sudden death.

Panettiere is survived by her parents and her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.