Actor Jansen Panettiere Passes Away, Age 28

Jansen Panettiere, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel Actor and Brother of Hayden Panettiere, Dies at 28. The brother-sister team worked together in Tiger Cruise, Racing Stripes, and The Forger

Hayden Panettiere and Jansen Panettiere in 2019 (Getty Images)

Jansen Panettiere, who starred in the 2007 Nickelodeon Original Movie The Last Day of Summer and voiced Truman X in Nickelodeon’s animated series The X’s, has sadly died at age 28. The younger brother of Nashville star Hayden Panettiere died over the weekend in New York, TMZ reported on Monday (Feb. 20).

A representative for the New York City Police Department told TheWrap that the death did not occur in New York City itself. According to TMZ, no cause of death has been announced and no foul play is suspected.

No statements had been issued by his family as of Monday evening. Representatives for Panettiere did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Jansen and Hayden costarred in the 2004 Disney Channel movie Tiger Cruise and the 2012 Josh Hutcherson film The Forger. He also voiced a young zebra in her Warner Bros. 2005 family film Racing Stripes.

Jansen made his acting debut in an episode of the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and went on to appear on shows including Blue’s Clues, Major Crimes, and The Walking Dead. He also voiced characters in the animated feature films Robots and Ice Age: The Meltdown and in Holly Hobbie and Friends specials.

He was nominated for a Young Artist Award for his lead role in The Last Day of Summer. He also costarred with Gavin MacLeod in the 2008 faith-based film The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry and with Clifton Collins Jr. in 2009’s The Perfect Game.

He was born Sep. 25, 1994, in Palisades, New York, to Lesley Vogel, a former soap opera actress, and Alan Lee “Skip” Panettiere, a fire department lieutenant.

R.I.P. Jansen Panettiere, September 25, 1994 – February 19, 2023.