Before She Was a Household Name, Hayden Panettiere Starred in Some of the Most Recognizable Commercials from the ‘90s
Before She Was a Household Name, Hayden Panettiere Starred in Some of the Most Recognizable Commercials from the ‘90s
Sara BelcherSat, August 22, 2026 at 1:59 PM UTC
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Hayden Panettiere in 2026; Hayden Panettiere in a Hershey’s commercial as a childCredit: Shutterstock; Hershey's -
Hayden Panettiere starred in memorable ‘90s commercials for brands like Wendy’s, Hershey’s and Banana Nut Crunch cereal
Her first commercial appearance was as an infant in a Playskool commercial before landing roles on Guiding Light and Heroes
Panettiere’s family confirmed her death at age 36, calling her an “incredible light” who brought joy to many
Hayden Panettiere will be remembered best for acting roles like Nashville and Heroes, but before that, she starred in a handful of iconic commercials in the ‘90s.
One of Panettiere’s earliest commercials was for Wendy’s, showcasing the fast-food chain’s 99-cent five-piece nugget deal. The 1996 commercial shows a young Panettiere sitting with her “brother’s” meal after promising him she’d look after it.
Hayden Panettiere in a Wendy’s commercial in 1996Credit: Wendy's
“But when someone gets nuggets, it’s hard not to try one,” Panettiere admits before biting into the nugget. She then blames Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas for stealing them upon her brother’s return.
In another iconic commercial, this time with Hershey’s, Panettiere poses as a young scout doing door-to-door sales. However, instead of the cookies the elderly customer expects, the little scout is selling power tools. Panettiere shows off her “sockets with complimentary ratchets, screwdrivers, wrenches” and a cordless power saw “with a mother of pearl handle,” but the woman she’s giving the sales pitch to wonders, “Where have all of the cookies gone?” before it’s revealed they were all used for the Hershey’s cookies and cream chocolate bar.
Hayden Panettiere Hershey’s commercialCredit: Hershey's
But Panettiere’s food-centric commercials didn’t end there. She was also the small child excited to eat Banana Nut Crunch cereal, and her IMDb page credits her with being in a print ad for the now-discontinued Aunt Jemima pancake mix before pivoting to various other brands.
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Panettiere’s earliest commercial appearance was for Playskool. As an infant, she moved around on the Fold N’ Go Quilt, marking her first TV appearance before she became a household name. Other spots included a commercial for Nix lice treatment and Jergens.
Hayden Panettiere in a Banana Nut Crunch commercial in 1994Credit: Post
Her time on TV expanded to credited speaking roles when she landed the part of Lizzie Spaulding on the soap opera Guiding Light before breaking through with Heroes in 2006. She skyrocketed further with a lead role on Nashville, appearing as the ambitious, cutthroat diva Juliette Barnes, who was trying to make a name for herself in the pop-country space.
On Aug. 16, 2026, Panettiere died of an apparent overdose after police officers and EMS responded to reports of an “unresponsive female” at a residence in Greenville, S.C. She was 36 at the time of her death.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her dad, Alan Panettiere, confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
