Heroes star Jack Coleman filled with ‘regret’ over Hayden Panettiere’s death

By Sean O'Grady, Press Association Deputy Entertainment Editor

Actor Jack Coleman, who played Hayden Panettiere’s father on Heroes, has said he is filled with “sorrow and regret” over her death.

The American actress died aged 36 at her home in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday.

Coleman, 68, portrayed Noah Bennet, the father of cheerleader Claire, on the superhero drama series that catapulted Panettiere to fame.

He shared several photos of them together in a social media post on Wednesday and wrote: “I’m heartbroken. I couldn’t begin to put my thoughts into words until now, and they will be inadequate.

“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.”

Coleman described Panettiere as a “prodigious talent”, recalling her ability to cry on the same line during every take.

He wrote: “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.

“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.”

Coleman said Panettiere was “hunted” by paparazzi as a teenager and that they could “make even the most innocent activity look sinister”.

He also described her as a “tiny colossus who loved to laugh”, adding that they laughed a lot together on set.

Coleman added: “Today I’m filled with sorrow and regret. And anger. But that’s for another time.

“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.

“I love you, Hayden. I’ll miss you. I’m so sorry you suffered.”

He also credited Panettiere with helping his daughter Tess when she was being bullied, as well as her commitment to animal welfare and her “courage to put yourself in harm’s way to protect them. I only wish you had been given that same protection”.

Coleman concluded his tribute with: “Good night, sweet girl. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

A statement from Panettiere’s representatives on Monday said the star will be remembered by her family as an “incredible light” who brought “immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her”.

Police said the actress, who had struggled with addiction and her mental health, was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest, and there were “no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances”.