Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American singer and actress. She was born in Palisades, Rockland County, New York on August 21, 1989. She is of Italian descent and has a younger brother who is also an actor. She was home schooled from 8th grade through high school and is putting off higher education in favor of her acting career.

She started doing commercials when she was just 11 months old and at 4 and a half she was cast on the day time soap "One Life To Live". She then went on to star in another soap, "The Guiding Light" from 1997 to 2000. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society gave her a recognition award for creating awareness about the disease among the show's viewers, due to the fact that her character on Guiding Lightstruggled with it.

Although she has been a part of numerous TV shows and films, she is probably best known for her role as Claire Bennet on the hit TV series "Heroes". 1999 she was nominated for a Grammy for A Bug's LifeRead-Along.

Romantically she has been linked to the once Laguna Beachstar Stephen Colletti and her Heroes co-star Milo Ventimiglia though she had repeatedly denied this, even though he confirmed it. She has one tattoo written in Italian which says "To Live Without Regrets". Panettiere is active in attempts to save dolphins from being hunted in Japan, and for this she has even received the Compassion in Action Awardfrom PETA. She is also against the hunting of whales and has reached out to government representatives of Norway and Japan, asking them to stop. She participated in the online eBay auction for SaveTheWhalesAgain.com.

Panettiere is a vegetarian. She also supports the Ronald McDonald House Charities and is an ambassador for Candie's Foundation, a foundation dedicated to fighting teen pregnancy.