Hayden Leslie Panettiere was born and raised in Palisades, Rockland County, New York, the daughter of Lesley R. Vogel, a former soap opera actress, and Alan L. "Skip" Panettiere, a fire department lieutenant. She has one younger brother, fellow actor Jansen Panettiere. Hayden attended South Orangetown Middle School in New York but, following seventh grade, finished her high school education via homeschooling and has postponed higher education in favor of an acting career, although she has expressed an interest in continuing to learn.... 
HeroesQuotes
"When the camera comes on, I am not Hayden any more, I am Lizzie!"
"I hate how people say I'm growing up fast."
"You go on these Internet blogs and people say the meanest things. I'm a normal person. Just because I'm in the spotlight doesn't mean I'm God's gift to the world. I'm learning and making mistakes just like every other 17-year-old girl out there."
"The funny thing is that people see one film like Racing Stripes (2005) or Ice Princess (2005) and all of a sudden, slip me into this category of "that's what she's always involved in" but people don't remember that I did Normal (2003) (TV) with Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson for HBO, which was very dramatic. They don't remember that I did Lies My Mother Told Me (2005) (TV) which was the Lifetime film with Joely Richardson and Colm Feore, which was also extremely dramatic. They don't remember that I did Remember the Titans (2000)."
"I know it's really gory, and a lot of people's stomachs will probably not like me for it, but that is just awesome, just being able to be bloodied up and have different body parts put on. That's right up my alley. It's so awesome."
"I think at the age I'm at, it's really hard for a film career, and I'm at a point in my life where I thought it would be a good idea to be a part of a good show and to be able to finish school."
"I hate how people say I'm growing up fast."
"You go on these Internet blogs and people say the meanest things. I'm a normal person. Just because I'm in the spotlight doesn't mean I'm God's gift to the world. I'm learning and making mistakes just like every other 17-year-old girl out there."
"The funny thing is that people see one film like Racing Stripes (2005) or Ice Princess (2005) and all of a sudden, slip me into this category of "that's what she's always involved in" but people don't remember that I did Normal (2003) (TV) with Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson for HBO, which was very dramatic. They don't remember that I did Lies My Mother Told Me (2005) (TV) which was the Lifetime film with Joely Richardson and Colm Feore, which was also extremely dramatic. They don't remember that I did Remember the Titans (2000)."
"I know it's really gory, and a lot of people's stomachs will probably not like me for it, but that is just awesome, just being able to be bloodied up and have different body parts put on. That's right up my alley. It's so awesome."
"I think at the age I'm at, it's really hard for a film career, and I'm at a point in my life where I thought it would be a good idea to be a part of a good show and to be able to finish school."