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If you're like me, you grew up with Hayden Panettiere on your TV and felt a warm familiarity with her as she moved through roles, from Ice Princess to Heroes to Nashville and more.
When news of her death broke on the evening of Sunday, August 16, it was shocking to say the least. The 36-year-old two-time Golden Globe nominee died on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, according to reports. We are left with so many questions about what happened and grief that someone so young and so beloved is gone.
In the wake of her death, one of the best ways to honor her legacy is watching her shine in her many roles. She had so many—just take a look at her IMDb.
We've listed some of her best roles in films and TV and where to find them today:
Remember the Titans (2000)
"In 1971, Virginia high-school football was everything to the people of Alexandria, but when the school board was forced to integrate an all-Black school with an all-White one, the foundation of football's tradition was put to the test."
Hayden Panettiere plays Sheryl Yoast, the daughter of Coach Bill Yoast, opposite of Will Patton and Denzel Washington. Her character adds heart and comedy to the otherwise heavier film.
Watch it on Disney+
Ice Princess (2005)
"A brainy ugly duckling realizes her dream of becoming a champion figure skater with the help of physics, a disgraced coach, three snooty ice princesses, a chorus of stage parents and the hunky boy who drives the Zamboni."
Panettiere is Gen Harwood, Casey's popular girl rival and the daughter of former skating champion and coach Tina Harwood (played by Kim Cattrall). She plays opposite Michelle Trachtenberg (Casey), who we also lost less than two years ago, Joan Cusack, and actual figure skater Michelle Kwan, who made a cameo as herself.
Watch it on Disney+ or rent it on Prime Video.
Raising Helen (2004)
"Single and self-involved, Helen Harris (Kate Hudson) has a thriving fashion career and a lavish lifestyle in New York City. Helen is shocked to hear that her sister and brother-in-law have died in an accident, and alarmed that they have named her the guardian of their three kids (Hayden Panettiere, Spencer Breslin, Abigail Breslin). As the children struggle with the change, Helen has to decide whether she'll cling to her old ways or come to terms with her new family role."
Panettiere, who was 13 at the time of filming, said this film was when she had her first (upsetting) on-screen makeout session.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006)
"When her father gets laid off, prom queen shoo-in Britney Allen (Panettiere) has to drop out and transfer to her ritzy high school's underfunded crosstown rival. At her new school, Britney is recruited for the cheerleading squad by its tough captain, Camille (Solange Knowles). As Britney struggles to win the respect of her new peers, they prepare to face off against the squad at her old school for a chance to dance back-up for Rihanna (Rihanna) in her next music video."
Panettiere performed some of the choreography, routines and tumbling passes for the film after going through real cheer camp training.
Rent or buy it on Prime Video.
Heroes (2006 - 2010)
"Ordinary people around the world discover they possess extraordinary abilities and race to stop a catastrophe that threatens to destroy New York City."
Arguably Panettiere's breakout TV role, she stars as the cheerleader, Claire Bennet, who is suddenly indestructible. This role made her a household name. She played opposite Jack Coleman (her villain father Noah Bennet), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli) and Zachary Quinto (Sylar).
Watch it on Netflix, Tubi or rent or buy it on Prime Video.
Nashville (2012 - 2018)
"After two decades as the reigning queen of country music, Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) is faced with pressure to adapt and reinvent herself to stay relevant. Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) is a sassy, sexy singer with a troubled past who is determined to steal Rayna's place at the top"
The role led fans to compare her character to Taylor Swift, but Panettiere once insisted Juliette wasn't based on the superstar.
Watch it on Netflix and Pluto or rent/buy it on Prime Video.
Scream 4 (2011) and Scream 6 (2023)
"Scream IV is set 10 years after the original Woodsboro murders; one of the survivors returns home to promote their new book about surviving trauma, only for a new Ghostface killer to emerge, targeting a new group of teens. Scream VI follows a group of teens that move to New York City, hoping for a fresh start, only to find a new killer picking up where the last Ghostface killer left off."
Panettiere plays Kirby Reed in both films, first as "the final girl" who survives a brutal attack by Ghostface, and later, as an FBI agent.
Watch both films on Paramount+ or rent/buy them on Prime Video.
Sleepwalker (2026)
"A grieving mother is haunted by the tragic loss of her daughter in a car accident that left her abusive husband in a coma. Plagued by haunting visions, she grapples with the blurred lines between reality and nightmare."
This is her last known credit; however, it failed to get good reviews.
Guiding Light (1952 - 2009)
Set in the fictional Midwestern town of Springfield, it follows the middle-class Bauer, Lewis and Spaulding families. It is the longest-running American soap opera in broadcast history because it started as a radio serial on January 25, 1937, moved to television on June 30, 1952, and aired its final TV episode on September 18, 2009, for a total run of 72 years.
Panettiere's first acting role was in 1994 when she played Sarah Roberts in the ABC soap opera series One Life to Live, but it was her role as Lizzie Spaulding in the CBS soap opera series Guiding Light (1996-2000). Her portrayal of her character's childhood leukemia storyline first brought her recognition.
You can watch her specific scenes on YouTube.