LOS ANGELES — Hayden Panettiere, the actor and singer who rose to fame as a teenage star of the hit television series “Heroes” and later found success on “Nashville,” has died at 36.

Her father, Skip Panettiere, announced her death in a statement provided to ABC News on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.

Heroes

Panettiere began her career as a child actor, appearing in commercials and soap operas before landing roles that would make her a familiar face to television and movie audiences.

Her breakthrough came in 2006 when she was cast as Claire Bennet in NBC’s “Heroes.” She played a seemingly ordinary cheerleader who discovers she has the ability to heal herself from injuries, becoming one of the show’s most recognizable characters.

The series became a global hit, built around the tagline “Save the cheerleader, save the world,” and turned Panettiere into a household name. Her performance earned her three Teen Choice Awards.

Nashville

Panettiere later showed another side of her talent in ABC’s “Nashville,” where she played Juliette Barnes, a talented but troubled young country singer. The series ran for four seasons on ABC before being revived by CMT.

Unlike many actors who portray musicians onscreen, Panettiere performed her own songs for “Nashville.” Her music became a significant part of the series, with 11 of her songs appearing on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Her work on the show also earned her two Golden Globe nominations for supporting actress.

Beyond television, Panettiere appeared in films including “Remember the Titans,” “I Love You Beth Cooper” and two installments of the “Scream” franchise.

In “Remember the Titans,” she played Sheryl Yoast, the outspoken, football-loving daughter of coach Bill Yoast. Panettiere later recalled identifying closely with the character.

She also lent her voice to animated projects and was a Grammy Award nominee for a children’s spoken-word album recorded after the release of “A Bug’s Life.”

Mental health

Panettiere’s career was also marked by periods away from the spotlight as she dealt publicly with addiction and mental health struggles.

She entered rehabilitation in 2015 while working on “Nashville” and later spoke candidly about her battles with depression, anxiety, alcoholism and substance abuse.

Panettiere also became a mother in 2014, when she welcomed a daughter with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko. In recent years, she addressed public misconceptions surrounding her daughter’s custody arrangement, saying the decision for the child to live primarily with Klitschko came during a difficult period in her life.

“I think there’s been this very common misconception that I just gave up my child,” Panettiere said in a recent interview. “That could not be farther from the truth.”

Panettiere also faced another devastating loss when her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28 from a heart condition.

Despite the challenges in her personal life, Panettiere remained a recognizable figure in Hollywood, with a career that stretched from childhood commercials and soap operas to blockbuster television roles, films and country music.

She was 36 and would have turned 37 on Aug. 21.