Aug. 21, 2026, 1:54 p.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere wasn’t just a star in the Hollywood sense. She was a beacon who lit the way for others.
The actress and former child star, who died on Aug. 16 at age 36, impacted a generation of fans with her heartfelt storytelling, portraying dynamic characters who charmed with their strength and relatability. Panettiere, whose iconic performances include “Remember the Titans” and “Nashville,” would have turned 37 on Friday, Aug. 21. The occasion, a bittersweet milestone in the wake of Panettiere’s death, now serves as an invitation to look back on her legacy, which extends far beyond the roles she played.
Despite the ups and downs of growing up in the spotlight, Panettiere said she loved the catharsis of performing. The actress, a bona fide millennial icon for her memorable parts in “Heroes,” “Ice Princess” and “Bring It On,” told E! News in May about the emotional refuge acting gave her.
“It’s my outlet,” Panettiere said. “I need it.”
And as it turns out, Panettiere’s passion for her art was also a salve for the fans who grew up watching her on screen.
“Ice Princess,” the 2005 coming-of-age film starring Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg as competitive figure skaters, became a touchstone for many young female viewers, who identified with the inspiring tale of two teenage girls taking control of their futures.
“The essence of the story in ‘Ice Princess’ is having dreams for yourself that are different from those of your parents. That’s universal and timeless,” the film’s screenwriter, Hadley Davis, told USA TODAY in a recent interview. Panettiere’s death comes just a year and a half after her costar, Trachtenberg, died at the age of 39.
“It’s a reminder of the reach and impact of the stories we tell in Hollywood, and these are the stories that Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg helped to tell,” Davis said.
Panettiere, who began her entertainment career before she turned 1, also sought to change the way stories are told in Hollywood after decades of performing in front of the camera.
“I really want to direct and be that person that creates a safe environment for actors and be like, this is the experience you’re supposed to have,” the actress said at a promotional event for her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in May, according to People magazine. “People don’t always understand what they’re asking of young actors emotionally.”
Panettiere’s activism off screen lives beyond her, too.
The actress advocated for marine life preservation, teen pregnancy prevention and domestic violence awareness. In 2013, Panettiere and then-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko visited the Euromaidan protests in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Shortly following her death, animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a campaign video starring Panettiere, in which the actress called for a boycott of marine parks.
Panettiere similarly tackled the issue of mental health with frank discussions about her own struggles with substance abuse and postpartum depression. “I’m a warrior. I’m a woman who has been through more trauma than I ever thought I’d face, but I’m resilient,” she told parenting magazine Momé in July.
“I’m a work in progress – we all are,” Panettiere added. “I take each day as it comes. I’m doing the work, and I’m doing my best.”
Panettiere’s dedication to the greater good proved inspiring to fans and fellow celebrities alike.
“Long before it was common for public figures to speak out, Hayden understood something simple and difficult: visibility is not just something you are given, but something you can give away,” Panettiere’s friend, actress Alyssa Milano, wrote in an Instagram tribute following her death. “And she gave hers, again and again, in service of things larger than herself.”
For Panettiere, the cost of intense vulnerability was worth the reward of giving solace to others.
“So many people have come up to me within the industry and outside of the industry and shared their stories with me and said, ‘Because you’ve talked about your mental health, it gave me the courage to be honest about mine and get myself help, and you saved my life,” Panettiere said at an event for her memoir in May, per People.
“I was like, ‘This is worth it.’ I can hopefully leave the world a better place than I found it.”
Contributing: Krystie Lee Yandoli and Jennifer Hassan, USA TODAY
