Hayden Panettiere, 'Heroes' and 'Nashville' Star, Dies at 36

Hayden Panettiere, who first appeared on American screens before she could speak and never truly left them, died at 36, closing a career that spanned more than three decades and two defining television roles. She was among the rare performers who navigated the treacherous passage from child actor to adult star, finding in Heroes and Nashville characters complex enough to grow into. Her death reminds us how deeply certain presences weave themselves into the fabric of shared cultural life — and how abrupt it feels when that thread is cut.