Hayden Panettiere, an actor whose career spanned television, film, and video games, has passed away at the age of 36. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed the news to ABC News in a statement expressing profound sadness.
"She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen," the statement read. Details surrounding her death have not been publicly disclosed.
Panettiere began her acting career as a child, appearing in projects such as Disney's "A Bug's Life" and "Dinosaur." As an adult, she gained recognition for her roles in television series like "Heroes" and "Nashville." She was also a notable presence in the "Scream" film franchise, reprising her role as Kirby Reed in multiple installments.
In the gaming community, Panettiere is best remembered for her contributions to two prominent series. She provided the original voice for Kairi in the initial two "Kingdom Hearts" games. Later, she took on a starring role in the Supermassive Games' horror title "Until Dawn," lending both her voice and motion capture performance to the character of Sam.
More recently, Panettiere had been involved in promoting her memoir, titled "This Is Me: A Reckoning."