For millions of people, Hayden Panettiere will always be Claire Bennet, the cheerleader from Heroes who could regenerate from her injuries. For others, she will be Juliette Barnes from Nashville or Kirby Reed from Scream 4. But behind those characters was a woman with very particular tastes and a life far more ordinary than the cameras showed.
Hayden liked Harry Potter and fantasy, and found in books a way to escape reality. She was also a huge animal lover and became personally involved in campaigns to protect dolphins and other marine species.
She liked sushi, although she was especially concerned about protecting endangered species. She also enjoyed traveling and spoke particularly fondly of Italy and Croatia, two of her favorite destinations.
Her preferences could be quite specific: she chose vanilla over chocolate, preferred red nail polish to pink, and for karaoke, she had a rather particular song: “Hell on Heels”, by Pistol Annies. If she felt like singing something more intense, she might end with “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.
She also had a soft spot for movies. Among her favorite films, she mentioned “Titanic”, “Moulin Rouge!” and “Die Hard 4”. As for books, she especially enjoyed The Art of Racing in the Rain and the poetry of Shel Silverstein.
And there was a rather charming contradiction: she preferred dogs, but also loved cats despite being allergic to them.
She liked snowboarding, traveling, being outdoors and, of course, singing. In fact, her voice ended up becoming an important part of her career thanks to Nashville, where she performed numerous songs.
Hayden died on August 16, 2026, at the age of 36. She had begun working when she was just a baby and spent virtually her entire life in front of the cameras.
Perhaps that is why it is worth remembering her for these small things too: the books she liked, the movies she watched, the food she enjoyed, the animals she defended, and the songs she sang when no one asked her to act.
Because before Claire Bennet, Juliette Barnes, or any other character, Hayden was simply Hayden. ❤️