Hayden Panettiere’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

Hayden Panettiere’s best movies and TV shows reveal an actress who got a huge start as a child actor before becoming one of the more successful television actors of the last decade. Panettiere started out her career as a second-generation star, her mother (Lesley Vogel) a former soap opera actress. She was homeschooled throughout high school and had private tutors to allow her to finish her high school diploma while she was acting full-time as a teenager. Thisis the result of her acting in commercials since she was eleven months old.

Panettiere was only five when she got her first recurring acting role in the daytime soap opera One Life to Live, and she has been acting ever since. While she has mostly stuck to major TV roles, she has also worked on some movies throughout her career as well, with roles in a Pixar movie, the inspirational sports drama Remember the Titans, and the horror franchise Scream. However, she is best known for TV, with roles in Heroes and Nashville as the highlights of her young career.

10 Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil (2011)

Hayden Panettiere Played Red Puckett

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While the movies were box office bombs and critical disappointments, there is something charming about both Hoodwinked movies. The first film was an animated version of Rashomon, with a crime taking place and everyone telling their side of the story before the truth was revealed. The second movie was a little more straightforward of an animated thriller. The second also saw the recasting of two major roles, one of which saw Hayden Panettiere replacing Anne Hathaway as Little Red Riding Hood.

In Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil, Panttiere voices Red, who is now working as a secret agent alongside Granny (Glenn Close) and Wolf. W. Wolf (Patrick Warburton). They race to save the kidnapped Hansel and Gretel, only to find the two are not as innocent as they act. As mentioned, the movie was a box office failure and reviews were terrible, with only an 11% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, critic reviews are not everything, and this is a charming movie that allows her voice acting talents to shine.

9 Guiding Light (1996-2000)

Hayden Panettiere Played Lizzie Spaulding

Guiding Light

Guiding Light

Guiding Light is a long-running American daytime soap opera that premiered in 1937. Initially created as a radio show by Irna Phillips, it transitioned to television in 1952. The series focuses on the intertwining lives, loves, and heartbreaks of the residents of the fictional town of Springfield. Known for its complex storytelling and rich character development, Guiding Light concluded in 2009 after over 72 years of broadcast.

Cast Mary Kay Adams , Timothy Adams , Anthony Addabbo , Nancy Addison , Grant Aleksander , Millette Alexander , George Alvarez , Terrell Anthony , Nicholas Reese Art , Kevin Bacon Release Date January 25, 1937 Seasons 72 Creator(s) Irna Phillips , Emmons Carlson

Hayden Panettiere started out her career as a child actor on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live. After leaving that soap, she took a second role in a different soap, this one CBS’s Guiding Light. She played the character Lizzie Spaulding for 44 episodes in one of the main roles. While it was a main role, the actress was only seven when she joined the cast. Spaulding is the daughter of Phillip Spaulding and Beth Raines, born onscreen and then rapidly aged when Panttiere joined the cast.

The last actress to play the role is actually eight years older than Panettiere.

Panettiere was the first actress to play the role after the original baby. She was on the soap opera until 2000, where she was then replaced by MacKenzie Mauzy, Allison Hirschlag, Crustal Hunt, and Emme Rylan. The last actress to play the role is actually eight years older than Panettiere. The soap opera lasted for 72 seasons before it was canceled in 2009, and Lizzie lasted until the soap opera finally went off the air.

8 Heroes Reborn (2015-2016)

Hayden Panettiere Played Claire Bennet

Heroes Reborn Poster Heroes Reborn Not Yet RatedScience FictionSuperhero

This 13-episode miniseries continues the saga of the 2000s sci-fi show Heroes. Heroes Reborn follows a new cast of characters as those with extraordinary abilities clash with evil villains. Epic adventures await both new and returning characters as they struggle to understand their place in the universe.

Release Date September 24, 2015 Cast Jack Coleman , Greg Grunberg , Masi Oka , Gatlin Green , Ryan Guzman , Jimmy Jean-Lous , Francesca Eastwood , Zachary Levi , Eve Harlow See at WalmartSee at Best Buy

In 2015, NBC decided to revive the series Heroes and bring back most of the surviving cast members for Heroes Reborn. This included bringing back Hayden Panettiere, although she dies while giving birth in the new series. The new series saw several people with superpowers who had to save the world, even as they were on the run as vigilantes wanted by the law. While the series only lasted for 13 episodes and one season, it was still an interesting return for the franchise.

The rebooted series picked up a 53 out of 100 score on Metacritic, which means mixed to average reviews, and a 42% score on Rotten Tomatoes. One big difference between Heroes Reborn and the original Heroes was that it was made as a close-ended series with a beginning, middle, and an end, rather than the long-running format of the original series, which ran out of steam by the final season. What really hurt was actors like Hayden Panettiere only getting small archive roles and not returning.

7 One Life to Live (1994-1996)

Hayden Panettiere Played Sarah Roberts

Melissa Fumero_ One Life To Live, Brooklyn Nine Nine Cast

One Life To Live

One Life to Live is a daytime soap opera created by Agnes Nixon, debuting in 1968. The show explores the lives and relationships of residents in the fictional town of Llanview, Pennsylvania. Known for addressing social issues, the series features a diverse cast and complex storylines that interweave elements of romance, family drama, and intrigue. The long-running show became a staple in American television until its conclusion in 2012.

Cast Andrea Evans , Erika Slezak , Melissa Fumero , Roger Howarth , David Fumero , Robin Strasser , Judith Light , Bree Williamson , John-Paul Lavoisier , Kristen Alderson Release Date July 15, 1968 Seasons 45

Hayden Panettiere got her big first role as a five-year-old on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live. This was in 1994, where she played the character of Sarah Roberts. While only five, this was still considered a “main role” on the soap opera. She was the daughter of Tina Lord and Cord Roberts. She was actually the second recasting for the role. Child actors Alexa and Zoe Fisher played Sarah as infants and Courtney Chase replaced them in 1993 as a toddler. In 1994, Panttiere took the role as a five-year-old.

Panettiere only played the role from 1994 to 1997 before leaving the soap opera to take on another child role on Guiding Light. She lasted until 1997 when the storyline had her mother move to Baltimore. After Panttiere left, the character was gone until 2003 when Shanelle Workman took on the role as a teenager. Justis Bolding took on the role from 2007-2009 and the character has been missing from the soap opera ever since.

6 A Bug’s Life (1998)

Hayden Panettiere Played Princess Dot

A Bug’s Life 3

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Created by Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures, A Bug’s Life is an animated adventure-comedy that follows a colony of Ants that must find a way to stop a group of grasshoppers from exploiting them. When a young inventor with a clumsy streak named Flik accidentally destroys the food offering to the grasshoppers, he heads off to gather a group of stronger bugs to fight against their oppressors and free the colony.

Director John Lasseter , Andrew Stanton Release Date November 25, 1998 Distributor(s) Disney Cast Dave Foley , Kevin Spacey , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Hayden Panettiere , Phyllis Diller , Richard Kind Runtime 95 minutes

In 1998, at the age of nine, Hayden Panettiere took on a voice role in one of Pixar’s first movies, A Bug’s Life. This was Pixar’s second-ever animated movie, following Toy Story. It is a movie about a misfit ant named Flik who wants to find some warriors who can help him save his ant colony from a protection racket run by some tough-guy grasshoppers. The problem is that his help comes in the form of Circus Bugs. It is based on the fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper.

A Bug’s Life
was Pixar’s second-ever animated movie release.

This is one of the most overlooked Pixar animated movies, one that few people talk about when ranking their favorite from the animation studio. This is shocking since the movie was a huge success, making $363 million at the box office. It also has a 92% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, showing it was also a critical darling. Hayden Panettiere voices Princess Dot, the Queen’s younger daughter and Flik’s good friend.

5 Scream VI (2023)

Hayden Panettiere Played Kirby Reed

Scream 6 Poster-2 Scream 6 4

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Scream 6 is a horror-slasher film that brings the terror of the iconic Ghostface to the streets of New York City. The survivors of the 2022 fifth Scream entry have moved to one of the biggest cities in the world – but not even a population of eight million will stop a mysterious new assailant from trying to fulfill the Ghostface legacy.

Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin , Tyler Gillett Release Date March 10, 2023 Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Cast Melissa Barrera , Courteney Cox , Jasmin Savoy Brown , Mason Gooding , Jenna Ortega , Hayden Panettiere Runtime 122 Minutes

In 2023, Neve Campbell stepped away from the Scream franchise and the movies looked for a new leading scream queen. While Courteney Cox returned, the main cast was from the last movie, with Jenna Ortega still in a major role, along with Melissa Barreera, Mason Gooding, and Hayden Panettiere among the returning cast members from Scream V. This was the only Scream movie not to include Campbell, who refused to return because of a dispute over her salary.

As for Panettiere, she was back as Kirby Reed, one of the survivors of the Woodsboro murders in 2011 who now works as an FBI agent. She first appeared in Scream 4 and this made it her third movie. She was a target of the Ghostface killer in her first movie appearance, but she made it out alive, although that wasn’t revealed until she was seen in a photo in the fifth movie. In Scream VI, she was back in person as an FBI agent and a new fan favorite. The sixth movie has a 76% Rotten Tomatoes fresh score.

4 Heroes (2006-2010)

Hayden Panettiere Played Claire Bennet

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Heroes sees a number of people drawn to each other after a solar eclipse awakens incredible abilities in them. With their destinies seemingly intertwined, these evolved humans use their superpowers to influence the past, present, and future – for better and for worse. When a superpowered killer emerges who is stealing abilities from his victims, they must band together to stop him.

Cast Hayden Panettiere , Santiago Cabrera , Jack Coleman , Tawny Cypress , Noah Gray-Cabey , Greg Grunberg , Masi Oka , Adrian Pasdar , Milo Ventimiglia , Zachary Quinto Release Date September 25, 2006 Seasons 4 Showrunner Tim Kring

While she had been acting since she was five in movies and TV shows, it was her role in the 2006 science fiction superhero series Heroes that Hayden Panettiere became a star. The entire tagline of the first season was “Save the cheerleader, save the world.” The cheerleader in the series was, in fact, Panettiere’s Claire Bennet. She is, as the tagline suggests, a high school cheerleader, and she has the superpowers to spontaneously regenerate.

Claire was in more Heroes episodes than any other character, appearing in 72 total episodes (and one more with archival footage). Sadly, she dies in Heroes Reborn, but that does not negate her importance to the original series. She received praise for her performance in Heroes and remains one of the most memorable characters from the series. Heroes lasted four seasons and 77 episodes and won several awards from the Emmys, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes.

3 Remember The Titans (2000)

Hayden Panettiere Played Sheryl Yoast

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Remember The Titans is a 2000 sports drama directed by Boaz Yakin and starring Denzel Washington. The film is based on the true story of a newly integrated high school football team in Virginia. Under the leadership of coach Herman Boone, the team navigates racial tensions and strives for success on and off the field.

Director Boaz Yakin Release Date September 29, 2000 Cast Ryan Hurst , Will Patton , Wood Harris , Denzel Washington , Donald Faison Runtime 113 minutes

In 2000, Hayden Panettiere took on a role in the inspirational sports movie, Remember the Titans. Denzel Washington stars in this movie as a Black coach hired to lead the football team at a newly integrated Virginia high school of predominantly white players. This causes problems when the school names him the head coach over the more deserving coach who was already there. The story is based on the true story of Herman Boone, who had to bring a team together in the face of racial drama.

The real Sheryl Yoast died in 1996 from an undetected heart condition at 34.

Hayden Panettiere has the supporting tole of Sheryl Yoast in the movie, the daughter of Coach Bill Yoast, the man who lost out on the head coaching job to Herman Boone, only to stay on as an assistant anyway to ensure his players received the proper support. The role had her dealing with the racial problems as she sees how the demotion affected her dad. The film has a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also won Outstanding Motion Picture from the NAACP Image Awards.

2 Nashville (2012-2018)

Hayden Panettiere Played Juliette Barnes

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Nashville is a musical drama-romance series that began airing on ABC for the first four seasons of its run in 2012 before moving to CMT. The series follows the careers of various Nashville country music stars, specifically a former superstar named Rayna and a new rising star named Juliette.

Cast Connie Britton , Hayden Panettiere , Clare Bowen , Eric Close , Charles Esten , Jonathan Jackson , Sam Palladio , Robert Wisdom , Powers Boothe , Chris Carmack , Lennon Stella , Maisy Stella , Will Chase , Oliver Hudson Release Date October 10, 2012 Seasons 6 Creator(s) Callie Khouri

While Hayden Panettiere is best known for her role on Heroes, she arguably turned in a better performance on the drama series Nashville. This series, airing on ABC, followed fictional country music singers in Nashville as they fought for success. Connie Britton stars as Rayna Jaymes, a legendary country singer who is seeing her fame starting to fade. On the other end, Panettiere stars as Juliette Barnes, a young rising star who is seeing her fame start to rise at the same time.

Panettiere earned two Golden Globe nominations for her performance.

The series lasted for six seasons and 124 episodes. While Panettiere was one of the main stars throughout the show’s entire run, Britton left after the fifth season and was only a guest in the sixth season. As expected, while Juliette hits it big to replace Rayna on the country charts, there is always someone waiting behind her to take her spot. The second and third seasons had perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes scores and Panettiere earned two Golden Globe nominations for her performance.

1 Ally McBeal (2002)

Hayden Panettiere Played Maddie Harrington

ally mcbeal Ally McBeal Drama

The legal comedy drama Ally McBeal is a series that ran from 1997 to 2002, following the personal and professional life of a young lawyer named Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart) as she navigates the ups and downs of her relationships and career at a Boston law firm. Greg Germann, Jane Krakowski, Lucy Liu, and Robert Downey Jr. appear in supporting roles.

Cast Calista Flockhart , Greg Germann Release Date September 8, 1997 Seasons 5 Showrunner David E. Kelley

In 2002, Hayden Panettiere joined the cast of Ally McBeal. At the age of 13, the actress signed on for the final fifth season as Maddie Harrington, the daughter of Calista Flockhart’s Ally McBeal. The series is a legal comedy drama about Ally, who works for a Boston law firm, but the main story focuses on the personal and romantic lives of the lawyers who work there. The series aired on Fox from 1997 to 2002 and featured stars like Jane Krakowski, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Robert Downey Jr., and James Marsden.

The big change in the fifth and final season saw Maddie (who was 10 in the show’s world) show up and claim to be Ally’s daughter (a mix-up at an egg bank from years before where Ally dropped off her eggs). The rest of the season sees Ally trying to figure out how to be a mother to Maddie, and it is her daughter that convinces her to leave for New York City, ending the series. At only 13, Hayden Panettiere proved she was a star in the making.