Hayden Panettiere's TV dad Jack Coleman says 'cursed' star was 'hunted and vulnerable'

Scarlett O'TooleThu, August 20, 2026 at 9:18 AM UTC

0

Jack Coleman has paid tribute to his on-screen daughter -Credit:NBC Photo: Chris Haston

Hayden Panettiere has been remembered as "an extraordinary young woman who was blessed and cursed" by her on-screen dad.

Jack Coleman played Noah Bennet in the hit superhero TV show Heroes, with Hayden starring as his on-screen daughter Claire Bennet from 2006 to 2010. Following Hayden's sudden death at the age of 36, Jack took to Instagram to share a heart-wrenching tribute.

The 68-year-old shared a series of pictures of him and Hayden from their time on Heroes and admitted, "I'm heartbroken. I couldn’t begin to put my thoughts into words until now, and they will be inadequate." Jack's tribute comes as Gayle King hit out at Hayden's estranged mom for her "unseemly" response to the star's death.

• Whitney Houston's horrifying autopsy – burned skin, sewn-on wig and scars everywhere

• Natalie Harp's brother lifts lid on her 'unhealthy' obsession with Donald Trump

Jack continued in the caption of his post, "I’ve loved Hayden since day one of the pilot of Heroes, 20 years ago, when she introduced herself by shouting “daddy” and throwing her arms around me. From that day on, she called me daddio. She was Haydini, because she was a magician."

Jack Coleman and Hayden Panettiere appeared on Heroes -Credit:NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Jack described Hayden as a "prodigious talent" and recalled one scene they had together in which Hayden's character needed to cry. "A tear rolled down her cheek on the same line, take after take. I marveled at her technique. “It’s not technique,” she corrected me. “I’m not a trained seal. I feel it and the tears just happen to come at that moment.” She was 16," Jack wrote.

Advertisement

He continued, "By 17 she was #1 on IMDB Pro. She was routinely asked obnoxious questions, mostly some version of “when are you going to go off the rails?” Today, we’d recognize those questions for the misogynistic provocations they were."

He claimed his co-star had been "hunted" and said everywehere she went there would be "photographers with 300 millimeter lenses—the kind that can make even the most innocent activity look sinister."

Jack recalled, "Once, when she came to our house, paparazzi hid in the bushes behind our yard and drove onto neighbors’ lawns. They were predatory. No one, especially a teenager, should be targeted that way."

Hayden "brought joy to the set," according to Jack, who said everyone who met her was "in awe of her ability to bring it every take." His tribute continued, "A tiny colossus who loved to laugh. We laughed a lot. That shining face, that megawatt smile, that wasn’t just for the camera. That was her. She glowed."

Jack said he is filled with "sorrow and regret" following Hayden's death. He also said he is angry, but admitted "that’s for another time." Jack added, "Right now I want to remember an extraordinary young woman who was blessed and cursed. She was vulnerable. She felt everything. It made her a remarkable actor and susceptible to the heartache and thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to."

Fans have also been paying tribute -Credit:Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

The Instagram post concluded, "I love you, Hayden. I’ll miss you. I’m so sorry you suffered. I’ll remember how happy you were on set and on the European press tour; how you championed Tess when she was being bullied; your commitment to animal welfare and the courage to put yourself in harm’s way to protect them. I only wish you had been given that same protection.

"Good night, sweet girl. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." Fans shared their own tributes to Hayden in the comments, with one person writing, "Of all the tributes I've seen this one hit the hardest. She really did seem like one of the best."

Another fan agreed, "I read a lot of post for her! But this one tho, this one broke my heart! Sorry for your loss!" A third person added, "This is how a parent writes a message. You obviously cared deeply for her, and I am so sorry for your loss."

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”