A collective mourning has begun for actress Hayden Panettiere after it was announced on August 16 that she died at just 36 years old. Millennials in particular remember growing up with her as she rose to fame, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable actresses of our time. Beyond the characters she portrayed in movies like “Remember the Titans,” “Ice Princess,” and the “Scream” franchise, much of Panettiere’s most memorable work came from her television roles.
Panettiere got her start on television via the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live,” playing Sarah Roberts from 1994 to 1997, which she followed up with a role on CBS’ “Guiding Light,” playing Lizzie Spaulding from 1996 to 2000. But her breakthrough TV acting role came in the form of superhuman cheerleader Claire Bennett on NBC’s “Heroes” from 2006 to 2010. After spending several years doing voice-acting roles in video games and starring in films, Panettiere returned to primetime television to star on the ABC series “Nashville” from 2012 to 2018.
Below, we rank Panettiere’s top five TV roles. Drop a comment with your own favorites after you read through our list.
5. One Life to Live
Hayden Panettiere got her acting career started very early when she was cast as Sarah Roberts, daughter of famous soap couple Cord and Tina Roberts, on “One Life to Live.” She was only five years old when she began portraying the character in 1994. Landing a role on one of TV’s biggest soap operas at such a young age was a testament to her natural charisma and hardworking nature, something that many of her adult co-stars have mentioned about their experience of working with her over the years.
4. Guiding Light
After several film roles and a few small TV roles, Hayden Panettiere scored another role on a major soap opera, CBS’ “Guiding Light.” Once again she played the daughter of an infamous soap couple, Phillip Spaulding and Beth Raines. Beth Chamberlain, who played her mother, told Soap Opera Digest in 1998 that “Hayden’s a dream child to work with, an incredible professional who puts all of us adults to shame.” Panettiere played Lizzie Spaulding from 1996 to 2000, appearing in 45 episodes.
Chamberlain made an Instagram tribute to Panettiere in 2026 further praising her skills: “Hayden played my daughter for 3 years. She was the most brilliant child actor I’ve ever seen.” She added that the young actress had an incredible ability to memorize her lines, even if the director made heavy changes.
3. Ally McBeal
Legal dramedy “Ally McBeal” is one of the most famous TV series of all time, earning more than 30 Primetime Emmy Award nominations over the course of its five-season run, which made it the perfect place for Hayden Panettiere to gain even more acting experience at 12 years old.
While Maddie Harrington only stuck around for 12 total episodes, Panettiere did some of her best work playing Ally McBeal’s (Calista Flockhart) surprise daughter. The role required a lot of emotional range from Panettiere, as Maddie was navigating not only the stress of trying to form a new bond with a mother she has never known, but also the typical teenage stress of learning about puberty, romance, and more.
2. Nashville
Unfortunately, the actress struggled with her role on “Nashville,” especially because the character of Juliette mirrored her own life in a way that hit too close to home. Panettiere was able to persevere and make it work, but in later interviews following the cancellation of “Nashville, she expressed that she experienced a lot of emotional turmoil.
“It ripped me apart daily.” said Panettiere when asked about filming “Nashville” in a 2024 interview with Entertainment Weekly. She added that she struggled to set boundaries with production about scheduling because of her history as a child actor who was expected to work through anything.
1. Heroes
Hayden Panettiere’s best work, and perhaps the role she will be most remembered for, was as cheerleader Claire Bennett on “Heroes.” Panettiere appeared in all four seasons episodes of the NBC drama, with her character serving as a focal point of the sci-fi series due to her secret superhuman abilities and involvement to preventing the destruction of the world. The role earned Panettiere a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress on Television every year from 2007 to 2010.
Although “Heroes” was one of many shows that fell apart partially due to the writer’s strike of 2007-2008, it’s still remembered fondly by many who tuned in every week during Season 1, with Panettiere’s storyline and performance being key reasons many people watched.
