Timeline of Hayden Panettiere's Life And Acting Career

Hayden Panettiere packed a lot into her 36 years before her sudden and tragic death ... and TMZ is taking you back through all of her notable moments ... both good and bad.

A Star Is Born -- August 21, 1989

Hayden is born in Palisades, New York -- a town just 25 miles from New York City -- to actress Lesley R. Vogel and NYC fire captain Alan Lee Panettiere. She is the first of the couple's two children.

Early Career -- 1990s

Hayden begins her acting career early ... earning her first role in a commercial for a Playskool toy train in 1990, less than a year after her birth.

She makes the move from commercials to narrative TV in 1994 ... appearing as recurring character Sarah Roberts for four years on the ABC soap opera "One Life to Live."

Hayden lands her first main role in a series in 1996 ... a recurring gig on the soap opera "Guiding Light." She's credited for 45 episodes over the next few years.

Pixar hires Hayden in 1998 to play Princess Dot in the nascent studio's second film, "A Bug's Life" ... a role which introduced her to generations of kids.

Hittin' The Mainstream -- 2000s

Hayden rises to national acclaim in 2000's "Remember the Titans" ... playing Will Patton's character's football-loving daughter in the movie also starring Denzel Washington, Wood Harris, Ryan Gosling, Donald Faison and more stars.

Her Disney era continues in 2004 with her starring role in the Disney Channel movie "Tiger Cruise" ... which centers on a ship out at sea during the September 11 terrorist attacks ... she also flexes her dramatic muscles in the movie "Raising Helen." Her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, appears in "Tiger Cruise."

During filming on "Racing Stripes" -- a movie about a zebra which believes itself to be a racehorse -- in 2005, Hayden falls from a zebra and suffers a back injury. She later writes in her 2026 memoir "This Is Me: A Reckoning" that she still feels effects from the fall two decades later.

Hayden achieves peak stardom via the TV show "Heroes" in which she plays Claire -- a cheerleader who develops superpowers and drives much of the first season's plot. She appears on the show from 2006 to 2010.

During this time, she dates "Laguna Beach" star Stephen Colletti before eventually getting romantically involved with Milo Ventimiglia when she was 18 and he was 29.

Hayden begins to abuse drugs during this period ... later revealing a publicist gave her a "happy pill" to keep her peppy on a red carpet -- and opening the doorway to addiction.

In 2009, Hayden starts dating Ukrainian boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Career Takes Off -- 2010s

Hayden joins the "Scream" franchise as Kirby Reed in 2011's "Scream 4." She then jumped back to television to play Juliette Barnes on "Nashville" ... a role which ultimately earned her two Golden Globe nominations. She recorded several songs for the show and appeared in 124 episodes.

Wladimir proposes to Hayden in 2013. She doesn't reveal many details but describes the proposal at the time as "very sweet and simple and genuine" -- adding it came "from the heart."

Hayden gives birth to her first child -- a baby girl named Kaya -- in December 2014. She gives birth in Hawaii with Wladimir by her side, and says the birth nearly killed her.

After giving birth, Hayden develops postpartum depression and starts drinking heavily. Wladimir helps her get into a treatment program.

Hayden gives up custody of Kaya to Wladimir in 2018, amid her struggle with alcoholism.

She writes in 'This Is Me' ... "I grieve that I'm not the mother I thought I'd be, and definitely not the mother I want to be. Trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime."

Around the same time Hayden gives up custody, she and Wladimir break up. He moves back to Europe with Kaya.

Hayden meets Brian Hickerson shortly before she splits from Wladimir, and in 2018 the two start dating.

Bumps In The Road -- 2020s

Brian is arrested on domestic violence charges and assault charges after multiple alleged incidents of abuse during their relationship. Hayden got court-ordered protection from Brian.

At the time, Hayden told us, "I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life."

Brian later serves 45 days in jail after pleading no contest to two charges.

Hayden's life is rocked by the tragic death of her brother, Jansen Panettiere, in February 2023. After he failed to show up for a business meeting, friends rushed to his New York apartment and found him sitting upright in a chair, unresponsive.

In a statement to ABC News, the Panettiere family later revealed he passed away from cardiomegaly -- an enlarged heart -- coupled with aortic valve complications.

He was 28 years old.

Final Chapter -- 2026

A photographer catches up with Hayden in March at LAX, where she's using crutches to get around. She says a pinched nerve in her back is causing the issue but claims she's "on the mend."

Hayden releases 'This Is Me' in May ... her memoir focuses on the pressures of growing up in the spotlight. In the memoir, she comes out as bisexual, recalls being put in a bed with a naked man by her then-friend -- whom she called by the pseudonym Stella McAmis -- and gets real about her addiction struggles.

On Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast, she says she still has a lot more life left to live.

Tragic End -- August 16, 2026

First responders rush to a residence in Greenville, South Carolina after getting a call about a woman -- Hayden -- who went into cardiac arrest.

Emergency Medical Services attempt to save her life, but she's ultimately pronounced dead at 2:32 PM. Dispatch audio indicates she may have overdosed.

Narcan -- meds that are administered nasally to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose -- was found in the apartment where Hayden died.

She was just a few days shy of turning 37.