“Heroes” creator Tim Kring pays tribute to Hayden Panettiere in an essay for Variety: "Unlike many actors who start working as kids, Hayden had no sense of jaded child actor quality to her. Although confident in her abilities, she was still guileless, sweet and always open to suggestions. It was a fait accompli that she would embody the role of Claire Bennet, aka the Cheerleader, from the moment we met her." "I remember vividly that if a scene called for Hayden to cry, we would all marvel at how she could cry with intensity for 12 takes in a row. When the director yelled 'Cut,' she’d go back to texting her friends or laughing with her castmates right up until the moment the director called 'Action' for the next take. Then out would come the waterworks again." "Hayden and I didn’t have too much contact after 'Heroes' ended in 2010. A few years later, however, when I inquired with her agent about her availability for another project, Hayden called immediately and teasingly admonished me. 'You don’t have to call my agent. Don’t be Hollywood about it. Just pick up the phone and call me,' she insisted." variety.com/2026/tv/news/her…