Inside Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg’s tragic friendship after the beloved Ice Princess duo died just 18 months apart
Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg defined an era for a generation of young moviegoers.
The former child stars famously shared the screen in Disney’s 2005 hit Ice Princess, playing unlikely best friends and competitive figure skaters Casey Carlyle and Gen Harwood.
Two decades after lighting up the screen together, the late actresses find their legacies forever locked in tragedy after both passing away in their thirties, just 18 months apart.
Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, in Greenville, South Carolina, at just 36 years old. Narcan was found in the apartment where she died, it was reported, after the Heroes actress suffered an apparent overdose.
The star’s sudden death comes 18 months after Trachtenberg died last February at the age of 39. Her cause of death was later confirmed to be due to complications from diabetes mellitus.
Following their tragic deaths, The Daily Mail takes a look at the bond and parallel lives of the former child stars.
Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday at age 36, just 18 months after her Ice Princess co-star Michelle Trachtenberg passed away at 39; The two pictured in 2011
The former child stars famously shared the screen in Disney’s 2005 hit Ice Princess, playing unlikely best friends and competitive figure skaters Casey Carlyle and Gen Harwood
Panettiere and Trachtenberg were already established child stars when they united forces on Ice Princess.
The coming-of-age sports drama, directed by Tim Fywell, centered on high schooler Casey (played by Trachtenberg), who discovers a hidden passion for figure skating while researching a physics project.
Panettiere starred as Gen, the daughter of local ice skating rink manager Tina Harwood (Kim Cattrall).
Tina initially schemes to sabotage the newcomer to help her own daughter. But the rivals eventually forge a bond, with Gen helping Casey find her confidence.
Following news of Panettiere’s death, her on-screen mom Cattrall took to her Instagram to share a photo of them together, writing, ‘Rest in peace sweet Hayden. Gone far too soon.’
Trachtenberg previously spoke about Casey and Gen’s friendship in a 2006 interview with Disney Movie Surfers.
‘Gen is the star skater, and Casey admires her for her technique and ability. [They] develop a friendship throughout the film, and Gen helps Casey realize that she really is a great skater.’
In a 2019 interview Panettiere shared she did most of her own skating in the film.
Though Casey (Trachtenberg) and Gen (Panettiere) begin as competitors, they ultimately build an unlikely bond, with Gen helping Casey step into her confidence
Trachtenberg previously spoke about Casey and Gen’s friendship in a 2006 interview: ‘Gen is the star skater, and Casey admires her for her technique and ability’; Panettiere seen in a still
‘[They] develop a friendship throughout the film, and Gen helps Casey realize that she really is a great skater’; Trachtenberg pictured with Kim Cattrall
The pair pictured promoting the film in 2005; (L-R) Trevor Blumas, Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, and Panettiere
In 2011, six years after making Ice Princess, Panettiere and Trachtenberg reunited at a fashion charity event in New York City, where they posed on the red carpet together (pictured)
Following news of Panettiere’s death, her on-screen mom Cattrall took to her Instagram to share a photo of them together, writing, ‘Rest in peace sweet Hayden. Gone far too soon’
‘I actually taught myself a scratch spin, which is the really fast blur spins. There’s one at the end of the performance in the movie that I do and they actually show it. It’s me and I’m so excited!’
‘But I did learn most of my tricks, except for the triples, for which I had a brilliant double. The weirdest thing about it was that she spun and jumped to the left, and I did it to the right. So, I had to relearn everything and do it all to the left, which was a little bit of a pain in the rear.’
When asked if she was more like her own character or Trachtenberg’s, she replied, ‘You know, I think I’m somewhere in the middle. I am more of a laid back girl than Gen is. She’s definitely a girly girl, very into her looks.’
‘I’m not saying that I’m not, but I definitely like sweat pants and my comfy clothes – my Uggs and my pajamas. But I like school and I’m pretty good at school. I get A’s. I do like science, too. I love science and I can do math relatively [well].’
On working with Cattrall, she said, ‘She’s such a sweet person and she’s really good in this film. She and I have the same birthday, so it was exciting. I and Kim have the same birthday, and Joan [Cusack] and Michelle have the same birthday. Crazy!’
The movie grossed $25.7 million during its theatrical run, with both Panettiere and Trachtenberg going on to define 2000s teen cinema and youth pop culture.
In 2011, six years after making Ice Princess, Panettiere and Trachtenberg reunited at a fashion charity event in New York City.
They attended the star-studded unveiling of Stuart Weitzman’s Young Hollywood Cares Collection, a charity shoe line co-created by young stars to benefit ovarian cancer research.
Blake Lively shared a montage of clips from the film, writing, ‘Be. Kind. You never know what others are going through. Thank you to both these women for all the joy you brought’
One fan on X shared a photo of Panettiere and Trachtenberg from the film, writing: ‘my ice princesses both gone’
Another fan wrote: ‘Now they are both together’
The tributes continued to pour in on X, with one fan writing, ‘My sweet young girls’
‘Two beautiful souls, two faces we grew up watching, and memories that will forever live on through the characters they brought to life,’ yet another fan on X added
‘I hope my Ice Princesses are finally hanging out again’
‘hayden panettiere is now in heaven ice skating alongside michelle trachtenberg. rest in peace you beautiful angels’
‘Both Michelle Trachtenberg and Hayden Panettiere gone…this hurts so badly,’ another wrote
The former co-stars both beamed as they posed on the red carpet together.
Both actresses launched their careers as child stars, with Trachtenberg starring in Harriet the Spy and Panettiere gaining worldwide stardom in Remember the Titans alongside Denzel Washington.
They later cemented their status as TV icons in major shows, with Trachtenberg starring in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Panettiere in Heroes and Nashville.
Following Panettiere’s passing, tributes have poured in for both of the co-stars.
One fan on X shared a photo of Panettiere and Trachtenberg from the film, writing: ‘First michelle trachtenberg now hayden panettiere. I’m so sad, I can’t believe this, my ice princesses both gone.’
Actress Blake Lively also shared a montage of clips from the film to her Instagram Stories, writing, ‘Be. Kind. You never know what others are going through. Thank you to both these women for all the joy you brought.’
Another fan wrote: ‘Now they are both together.’
‘Two beautiful souls, two faces we grew up watching, and memories that will forever live on through the characters they brought to life. Some moments from our childhood become so much more emotional when you realize how precious those moments really were. Rest peacefully.’
‘My sweet young girls,’ someone else added.
‘hayden panettiere is now in heaven ice skating alongside michelle trachtenberg. rest in peace you beautiful angels.’
Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday. Narcan was found in the apartment where she died, after the actress suffered an apparent overdose; Pictured in 2022
It comes 18 months after Trachtenberg died last February at the age of 39. Her cause of death was later confirmed to be due to complications from diabetes mellitus; She is piuctured in 2023
‘Both Michelle Trachtenberg and Hayden Panettiere gone…this hurts so badly,’ another wrote.
On Monday, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said that Panettiere’s autopsy had been completed and that no signs of trauma were found on the star’s body.
Further investigations will now take place to establish her cause of death, with chief deputy coroner Shelton England telling the Daily Mail that it was too early to discuss the drug overdose theory.
It is still unclear if that Narcan found at the apartment where she died had been used to try and revive Panettiere, although 911 audio obtained earlier on Monday revealed that the actress had gone into cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose.
Meanwhile, last month Rosie O’Donnell claimed that Trachtenberg was battling drug and alcohol addiction before her shock death at 39 in February 2025.
Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York City apartment near Columbus Circle by her mother, police sources told ABC News at the time.
It was further reported the actress had recently undergone a liver transplant after battling alcohol issues and ‘may have been experiencing complications.’ Her cause of death was later confirmed to be due to complications from diabetes mellitus.