Hayden Panettiere’s Final Movie Role Came Just Months Before Her Death

Hayden Panettiere’s final movie role arrived just months before her death at age 36.

The actress starred in Sleepwalker, a psychological thriller that was released in theaters and on streaming platforms on Jan. 9, 2026. The film marked one of Panettiere’s final projects following her return to acting after a years-long break from Hollywood.

In Sleepwalker, produced by Verdi Productions and Leonardo DiCaprio’s production firm Appian Way, Panettiere played Sarah Pangborn, an artist haunted by the tragic death of her daughter. After a car accident leaves her abusive husband in a coma, Sarah begins experiencing increasingly disturbing sleepwalking episodes and struggles to distinguish reality from her nightmares.

Panettiere was also an executive producer on the film, a role she was particularly excited about as she looked toward expanding her work behind the camera.

In a January interview with New Beauty, she described the project as a new chapter for her creatively and said she hoped to eventually direct.

The film was part of a late-career return for Panettiere. After starring as Claire Bennet on Heroes and Juliette Barnes on Nashville, she stepped away from acting for several years. She returned to the big screen as Kirby Reed in 2023’s Scream VI, followed by roles in Amber Alert and A Breed Apart.

Sleepwalker ultimately became her final film role. Reuters confirmed that Panettiere died at 36, while her family said the circumstances surrounding her death were under investigation.

Earlier this year, Panettiere also released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she reflected on her personal struggles and her journey through recovery.

At the time Sleepwalker was released, however, Panettiere was looking ahead. In her New Beauty interview, she spoke about having a busy year ahead and described herself as excited about what was next.

That makes her final movie especially poignant: Sleepwalker was released just seven months before her death, marking the last completed film appearance of a performer whose career had spanned more than three decades.

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