Hayden Panettiere's Life in Photos: Remembering the Actress After Her Death At 36

Hayden Panettiere left behind a lasting legacy following her death at the age of 36 on August 16.

Best known for her standout roles in Nashville and Heroes, Panettiere grew up in the spotlight and launched her career in commercials before finding success across television and film. From her early years as a child star to her tumultuous relationships and final projects, OK! looks back at Panettiere's life through the years in photos.

The late actress was born on August 21, 1989, in Palisades, N.Y., to parents Alan "Skip" Panettiere and Lesley Vogel. She was the couple's eldest child and grew up alongside her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, born on September 25, 1994.

According to her National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences bio, Hayden began her career in entertainment at just 11 months old, though she told CBS News that her mom had started taking her into audition rooms when she was only 8 months old.

"It went from there and progressed into 50 commercials by the time I was five... It just never stopped," she shared.

After taking on small gigs and voice roles, Hayden expanded her television career with appearances on soap operas, including One Life to Live and Guiding Light, beginning at age 4.

She also made brief appearances in Unhappily Ever After, Raising Helen, Ice Princess, Bring It On: All or Nothing, Malcolm in the Middle and Remember the Titans, among others.

Hayden played Claire Bennet on the 2000s show Heroes, which earned several awards and nominations.

Years before she was cast as Juliette Barnes on Nashville, Hayden had already established herself as a recording artist by contributing music to several of her television and film projects.

She performed "I Fly" for Ice Princess and "Try" for Bridge to Terabithia while also recording tracks for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, The Dust Factory and Tiger Cruise.

In 2008, Hayden released "Wake Up Call," her first single not tied to one of her acting projects. She later placed 11 songs on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, including "Boys and Buses," "Consider Me," "Don't Put Dirt on My Grave Just Yet," "For Your Glory," "I'm a Girl," "Love Like Mine," "Undermine" and "Wrong Song."

"Telescope," the first track from The Music of Nashville: Season 1, Volume 1, quickly became her signature country hit.

From 2012 to 2018, Hayden dominated the small screen as Juliette Barnes on Nashville.

Reflecting on her role, she shared in an interview, "It's always more fun to play bad. But if it's all dark and no light, then you can begin to dislike the character. It's important for a character to have dimensions and layers, because that's how people truly are—that's what makes us interesting. If Juliette didn't have her redeeming moments she could easily become flat and unlikable. But, I will say, playing bad is a blast!"

In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Hayden claimed she had no friends on the set of Nashville.

"'I guess I thought we'd all be friends,' I said to [my assistant] Allie one day when we were sitting by the pool at the house I was renting. 'You know, cast, crew, directors, all one big happy family. But it's not like that at all.' 'Well, that's why you have me,' Allie answered," she wrote.

Hayden compared the set dynamic to the bond she had with her former Heroes costars, saying she assumed they would "all decompress over drinks or dinner" after filming at the end of the week.

"But other than Jonathan [Jackson], I wasn't as close to my costars as I would have liked to have been. I couldn't figure it out. We were all new faces in a strange town, yet we weren't growing into friends," she added.

Throughout her career, Hayden received several accolades, including the 2007 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama), the 2007 Capri Exploit Award and the 2008 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress.

She also earned several major nominations, most notably two Golden Globe nods for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Juliette Barnes in Nashville in 2013 and 2014. Her other notable nominations were a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Nashville and a Grammy Award nomination for A Bug's Life Read-Along at just 10 years old.

As her profile grew, Hayden became a familiar presence at red carpet events and gatherings, where she was often photographed alongside fellow actors and former costars, including Guiding Light stars Kim Zimmer and Jake Weary.

From 2010 onward, Hayden continued to take on prominent roles across film and television.

She voiced Kate in Alpha and Omega before starring as Kirby Reed in 2011's Scream 4. She later returned as Kirby in 2023's Scream VI.

"I play Kirby Reed, who is best friends with Jill (Emma Roberts). She was a very cool person to play. She's got this tomboy edge and a dry, sarcastic sense of humor," she said of her character.

Hayden often brought her family to red carpet events, including at the 31st Annual FiFi Awards in New York City.

Skip and Lesley were married from 1989 until they finalized their divorce in 2016

Like Hayden, Jansen also landed several acting roles throughout his career.

He died on February 19, 2023, at the age of 28 due to undiagnosed cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) and aortic valve complications.

In the years leading up to her death, Hayden spoke candidly about her mental health and history of substance abuse. She revealed that she had battled alcohol and opioid addiction and sought treatment, while also receiving professional help for postpartum depression.

"I was on top of the world and I ruined it," the Nashville alum told People in July 2022. "I'd think I hit rock bottom, but then there's that trap door that opens."

Despite the difficult journey, Hayden said she had reached a place of acceptance and perspective.

She expressed, "This hasn't been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs. But I don't regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me. I feel incredibly accomplished. And I feel like I have a second chance."

Hayden's dating history also had its own highs and lows.

From 2006 to 2007, she reportedly dated Laguna Beach alum Stephen Colletti before beginning a romance with her Heroes costar Milo Ventimiglia, whom she dated from 2007 to 2009.

Hayden then had an on-and-off relationship with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, beginning in 2009. They became engaged in 2013 and welcomed daughter Kaya in 2014 before splitting for good in 2018.

During one of her breaks from Wladimir, she dated NFL player Scotty McKnight from 2011 to 2012. She also became involved with Brian Hickerson in 2018.

Hayden came out as a bisexual in an interview published May 6 ahead of the release of her memoir.

"Now that I know that this book is coming out, and that I've chosen to share it with the world, I'm comfortable to confidently say that yes, I am bisexual," she declared. "I said it! This is the first time I got to say it out loud."

More than three years after Jansen's death, Hayden was found unresponsive and "in cardiac arrest" at a residence in Greenville, S.C., on August 16.

As OK! reported, responders immediately "initiated advanced cardiac life support measures" after she was found "unresponsive," but "resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful." She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.

"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," Skip told ABC News. "She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen."

He also asked for privacy as the family "takes time to process this unimaginable loss."

Officials have not determined Hayden's official cause or manner of death, which remain pending further investigation and additional studies.