Hayden Panettiere was looking toward the future and planning her next career moves before her tragic death on August 16. The Heroes and Nashville star said she was eager to take on more acting roles and was also trying her hand at writing a show.
Hayden Panettiere was ready to recommit to acting after taking a yearslong break from Hollywood
Hayden, who died at the age of 36, did not appear in any projects between the end of Nashville in 2018 and Scream VI in 2023. She told E! News in an interview on May 18 that she was eager to return to the big screen. “It’s my outlet. I need it,” she expressed.
“I needed that break that I finally gave myself after so many years,” Hayden said. She added, “But I also realized that idle minds are the devil’s playground, and that is very true for me.” The actress last appeared in Sleepwalker, a psychological thriller released in theaters and on streaming platforms on January 9, 2026.
She continued by saying, “If I don’t have an outlet—an emotional outlet—something to do, something to put my heart into, and something to be passionate about, then I end up self-destructing.” She also revealed that she had been exploring new creative pursuits as an artist, explaining, “I’m currently trying my hand at writing a show.”
Hayden launched her acting career in 1994. She landed a role on ABC’s One Life to Live. In 1996, she joined the cast of CBS’ Guiding Light, and later returned to the series and appeared on the show from 1997 to 2000. She also became one of the youngest Grammy Award nominees. She earned the nomination for voicing Princess Dot in the 1998 animated film A Bug’s Life.
Hayden, who was featured in 2011’s Scream 4 as Kirby Reed, openly discussed her struggles with alcohol use and opioid addiction. At 15, she was first offered “happy pills” before a red-carpet event. She recalled in a 2022 People interview that the drugs made her feel “peppy” during interviews. She said, “I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction.”
Hayden is survived by her parents, father Skip Panettiere and mother Lesley Vogel, who formerly managed her career. She is also survived by her daughter, Kaya Klitschko, whom she welcomed in 2014 with her former fiancé, heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
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