It’s a sad, sad day, following the announcement of Hayden Panettiere’s death on Sunday. While the 36-year-old actress had been largely out of the spotlight for the last few years, she was a millennial pop culture staple throughout the early aughts. From her early roles as a child soap opera star through her triumphant return to the Scream franchise in 2023, she always lit up a screen, scooping up Golden Globe, Grammy, and Critics’ Choice Award nominations along the way.

Earlier this year, Panettiere released her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she detailed her upbringing as a child star, her battles with postpartum depression and addiction, surviving domestic abuse, and rediscovering herself. She also most recently starred in a psychological thriller called Sleepwalker, co-starring Justin Chatwin and Mischa Barton.

Following the devastating news of her passing, we’re looking back at seven of Hayden’s most iconic performances. We’ve also included the streaming information in case you want to spend the evening watching the legend at work.

The 7 best Hayden Panettiere performances

A Bug’s Life (1998)

Hayden was only 9-years-old when she landed her first major movie role in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, playing the impetuous princess Dot. Constantly sparring with her older sister Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Dot became a standout character in a film packed with veteran talent. I’m a firm believer that A Bug’s Life is one of Pixar’s best films, and that’s certainly thanks, in part, to Dot and her tiny little wings.

Available to stream on Disney+.

Remember the Titans (2000)

While Hayden had been racking up TV credits for years, her breakout on-screen film performance came in the Denzel Washington-helmed Remember the Titans. Hayden played Sheryl Yoast, the daughter of the town’s white football coach Bill (Will Patton), who tells the story of how her father and Herman Boone (Washington), a black coach, integrated the high school football team in 1971. With her wild, curly blonde hair untamed and a large dose of spunk, Hayden served as the perfect audience surrogate.

Available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.

Ice Princess (2005)

Only watch Ice Princess if you’re prepared to cry, not because the movie is a sad one (it’s not), but because along with Hayden, it stars Michelle Trachtenberg, another millennial favorite gone too soon. The sports dramedy, based on a Meg Cabot story, follows Casey (Trachtenberg), a high school student who uses physics to become a better ice skater (makes total sense). Hayden plays her friend/figure skating compatriot Gen. Images from the movie featuring the pair of young actresses have gone viral on Twitter following Hayden’s death.

Available to stream on Disney+.

Heroes (2006-2010)

Save the cheerleader. Save the world. NBC’s modern-day superhero series starring Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka, Greg Grunberg, and Panettiere, launched with that cryptic statement. Hayden played a high school cheerleader named Claire Bennet, who is gifted with the ability to spontaneously regenerate, basically becoming indestructible. Hayden stayed with the show through all four seasons, becoming a fan-favorite character.

Available to stream on Tubi and Netflix.

I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)

If you’re looking for peak Hayden Panettiere, there’s nothing quite like I Love You, Beth Cooper, which has grown a cult following despite getting horrifically bad reviews when it came out. Riding the wave of Superbad, I Love You, Beth Cooper follows Denis (Paul Rust), a nerdy valedictorian who professes his love for the head cheerleader Beth (Panettiere) in his graduation speech. What follows is one wild night in which Hayden proves to audiences just how easy it is to fall in love with her.

Available on video on demand.

Scream 4 (2011) and Scream VI (2023)

Any Scream superfan will tell you that after the original, Scream 4 is perhaps the best in the entire franchise. Joining David Arquette, Neve Campbell, and Courteney Cox are a host of youngsters including Emma Roberts, Adam Brody, Rory Culkin, and Hayden, who plays the necessary horror film fanatic, Kirby Reed. While Kirby appears to die at the end of the fourth installment, since she’s never proclaimed dead, she returned for the sixth installment, much to the delight of fans everywhere.

Scream 4 is available to stream on Paramount+. Scream VI is available to stream on Paramount+ and Netflix.

Nashville (2012-2018)

No list of Hayden Panettiere performances would be complete without mentioning Nashville, the ABC country music drama that she helmed with Connie Britton. For six seasons, Hayden played Juliette Barnes, the Taylor Swift-inspired country/pop singer, attempting to replace Rayna Jaymes (Britton) as the face of country music. The hit drama earned both Britton and Panettiere Golden Globe nominations and spawned an incredible soundtrack.

Available to stream on Pluto TV and Netflix.