The sudden passing of Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere, due to cardiac arrest brought on by drug overdose, has undoubtedly left a hole in the industry that will be too hard to fill. Tributes and honors continue to pour in, testament to the influence Hayden had on the industry.
The 36-year-old actress began her modelling journey at the tender age of 11 months, woking her way from child soap opera roles to bagging major project like Nashville and the Scream franchise. With so many career-defining projects behind her, here’s the list of Hayden’s five highest-rated projects on Rotten Tomatoes, and where you can watch them.
5) Heroes Season 1 (2006) — 82%
GettyIn NBC’s sci-fi drama series, Hayden played the role of Claire Bennet, a high-school cheerleader in Texas who discovers she has rapid cellular regeneration, making her indestructible. The show began with a bang, with its first season securing an 82% RT score, but gradually its rating tumbled. Combined with high production cost, NBC finally pulled the plug after four seasons.
For fans it may not have been the show by the end, but for Panettiere, it shaped her career in ways unimaginable. In an interview with Buzzfeed, she recalled the experience as “dream come true,” saying: “It was like a dream come true for me. It was just the best environment. Everyone was happy all the time, even in the intense scenes.”
Where to Watch: All four seasons are currently streaming on Peacock
4) Nashville (2012–2018) — 91% (average)
GettyPanettiere essayed the role of ambitious young country music star Juliette Barnes in ABC’s music drama series Nashville, which ran for six great seasons, each building on the last. Season 1 debuted with an impressive 91% RT score, with the next two seasons climbing to a perfect 100%. For her portrayal of Barner, Hayden received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress category.
Where to Watch: All season of Nashville are available for subscription on Netflix and for buying on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
3) A Bug’s Life (1998) — 92%
GettyNot many know it, but Hayden is essentially a Disney’s princess. How, you ask? In 1998, at just nine-year-old, Panettiere voiced the role of spirited young ant Princess Dot in the one of Pixar’s earliest ventures, A Bug’s Life. With Disney now owning Pixar, Princess Dot has arguably earned her place in the official princess lineup. Critics raved about the film, and Hayden received a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children (2000 ceremony) for A Bug’s Life Read-Along.
Dot was far from Hayden’s last voice role, she went on to voice Suri the lemur in Disney’s Dinosaur, along with roles in Diary of a New Girl, Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King, Alpha and Omega, and more.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Disney+
2) The Cove (2009) — 95%
This 2009 classic American documentary film exposed the mass slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Directed by Louie Psihoyos, the documentary follows an eighteen year old Hayden as she travels to Taiji and risks her safety to join activists peacefully blocking and protesting the annual dolphin drive hunt. The highly critically acclaimed film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Where to Watch: Currently available with ads on Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel and for rent on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Videos.
1) Normal (2003) – 100%
GettyIn the 2003 HBO television film Normal, Hayden Panettiere played the role of Patty Ann Applewood, the teenage daughter of a Midwestern man Roy (played by Tom Wilkinson), who shocks his family announcing his gender transition. Just 13 at the time, and starring alongside veteran actors Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange, Hayden carried the emotional weight of a role that demanded navigating family fallout and social backlash – and she did it beautifully. The film garnered widespread critical acclaims, achieving a perfect 100% RT score becoming Hayden highest rated work, though not in a lead role.
Where to Watch: Currently available to rent or purchase on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store though availability shifts in and out periodically.
