One of entertainment’s brightest stars, Hayden Panettiere has amassed a long list of credits at a young age. Best known for her role as cheerleader Claire Bennet in the hit NBC series “Heroes,” Panettiere next stars in Wes Craven’s highly anticipated “Scream 4,” in theaters April 15. Most recently, she lent her voice to the character Kate in the 3-D animated film “Alpha and Omega.”

Panettiere began her acting career by voicing the animated movies “A Bug’s Life” and “Dinosaur.” From there she went on to star in the films “Remember the Titans,” “The Affair of the Necklace,” “Raising Helen,” “The Dust Factory,” “Racing Stripes,” “Ice Princess,” “The Architect,” “Bring It On: All or Nothing,” “Fireflies in the Garden” and “I Love You, Beth Cooper.”

Her television credits include “Law and Order: SVU,” “Robot Chicken,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Ally McBeal” and “Touched by an Angel,” as well as the television movies “Tiger Cruise,” “Normal,” and the Lifetime Original Movies “Lies My Mother Told Me” and “If You Believe.”

Panettiere’s roles have won her numerous accolades. She received the 2008 and 2009 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Actress: Action/Adventure, as well as the 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice Celebrity Activist. Panettiere also received the Breakout Actress Award in 2007 at the Capri Hollywood Film Festival and the award for Favorite Clipped Dramatic Artist for the 2007 television season at the 1st Annual Wave Awards.

Panettiere is campaign spokesperson for the Whaleman Foundation, an oceanic research, conservation and production organization dedicated to preserving and protecting dolphins, whales and their ocean habitat. Since serving as spokesperson, she has traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress, was invited to the International Whaling Conference in Portugal and was featured in “The Cove,” a 2010 Oscar-winning documentary film exposing the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Panettiere’s involvement in animal welfare also led to her being the recipient of the Genesis Wyler Award from The Humane Society of the United States in 2007.

Panettiere’s impressive list of accomplishments also includes her ongoing association with Neutrogena. She also designed the popular “Hayden Bag” for Dooney & Bourke handbags.

Panettiere currently lives in Los Angeles.