With a gorgeous face, a gift for music, and a hit primetime TV series under her belt,
Hayden Panettiere was supposed to be Hollywood's next big thing as of 2006.
But ten years after she became a breakout star on Heroes, the actress isn't anywhere
near as famous—or busy—as expected.
What happened?
Heroes
Unlike a lot of stars who've been working in Hollywood since they were just a few years
old, Panettiere never experienced growing pains when it came to shedding the mantle
of youth.
After making her mark as a cute kiddo in films such as Remember the Titans, her big break
came when she scored the role of an unbreakable teenage dream girl on NBC's hit series, Heroes.
When the superpowered drama debuted in 2006, the 17-year-old actress was front and center
as its most recognizable star, and her character, Claire Bennett, was an instant fan favorite.
"Save the cheerleader, save the world!"
Unfortunately, what should have been a career-making breakout series went super-sour, super-fast.
After being initially heralded as an addictively watchable new series on par with LOST, Heroes
took a ratings nosedive after its second season, and the producers' efforts to resuscitate
it only made things worse.
The result wasn't good for the careers of anyone involved, but Panettiere arguably had
it worst.
By the time Heroes was cancelled in 2010, she'd spent four years of her life as the
face of a failing series.
Comedy flop
Like so many starlets before her, Panettiere had a window of opportunity in her late teens
to break into feature films, beginning with the title role in the high school raunch comedy
I Love You Beth Cooper.
The project seemed like a perfect fit, with hopes that it might just give its star a foothold
in Hollywood the way that, say, Superbad did for Emma Stone.
But the critical reception was brutal, and audiences didn't show up for the film, either.
So, the movie did absolutely nothing for Panettiere's career.
The best thing that can be said about the movie is that nobody remembers it.
DVD bargain bin
Indie projects can be a great way for up-and-coming stars to branch out, try new things, and show
off their range as actors.
But for Panettiere, her attempt to get serious with The Forger was a major let-down.
The movie sat unfinished for two years before being released to DVD in 2012, but even then
it got virtually no attention.
Whatever fresh acting chops Hayden might've put on display in the movie went largely unnoticed.
Off key
Panettiere is a gifted singer who's already been featured on the soundtracks of several
films in which she also starred.
So in 2008, she planned to release an album and even penned several songs, only to have
the entire endeavor stall and die amid creative differences with her label.
Not only did it cost her in terms of professional momentum, but according to Panettiere, the
experience was also definitely demoralizing.
In a 2013 interview with Vulture, the actress was still visibly cringing at the memory of
her attempt at pop stardom, saying that by the time she hit the recording studio, "I
was a puppet, basically.
It wasn't me."
Family drama
Panettiere has also struggled for years with the legacy left by her parents, whose eyebrow-raising
behavior and contentious divorce rivaled the Lohan family's turmoil in terms of the shadow
it cast on their talented daughter's career.
In a town as gossipy as L.A., that kind of baggage can drag down even the most determined
star.
Courting controversy
Panettiere's decision to head up the cast of Lifetime's true crime film about the Amanda
Knox trial was plagued by problems from the start, with all the real-life people involved
in the case petitioning the network to pull the film.
Panettiere was criticized for taking on the role, and by the time the movie premiered,
the project was so overshadowed by conflict that nobody even noticed the performance of
its lead actress.
Mom-entum shift
Having a baby isn't a recipe for lost momentum all by itself, but for Panettiere, the birth
of her daughter brought a series of challenges that went beyond the norm for new moms.
She actress had seemingly just found her groove on the critically acclaimed series Nashville
when she announced that she'd be taking a leave of absence from the show to be treated
for severe postpartum depression.
Not only did her struggle sap her energy and ability to work, but it evidently caused a
huge change to Panettiere's priorities and perspective as she worked to raise awareness
for the condition.
Panettiere even checked into a rehab facility twice to seek treatment for postpartum depression.
A turnaround?
Despite suffering some major setbacks and no small amount of bad luck, Panettiere has
finally re-emerged as a talent worth noticing thanks to her work on Nashville — where
both her skills as an actress and her musical abilities have finally gotten the attention
they deserve.
She was even twice nominated for a Golden Globe for her role, and critics have been
amazed by her ability to hold her own on the show, especially when sharing the spotlight
with a powerhouse such as Connie Britton.
While Panettiere's health-related leave of absence from the show came at an inopportune
time, the cliffhanger created by her disappearance should only highlight for the show's producers
— and anyone else who's paying attention — just what a force she is on-screen.
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