is an American actress and singer. She first developed professional prominence at the age of eleven with her portrayal of Sheryl Yoast in Disney's Remember the Titans, although for half of her life immediately before that, Panettiere had held roles in each of two soap operas. She portrayed Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live from 1994-1997, and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light from 1996-2000. Panettiere reached a wider audience with her starring role as Claire Bennet on the 2006 NBC television series Heroes. Early life Panettiere was born and partly 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. Panettiere attended South Orangetown Middle School in New York, but then she earned her education from the 8th grade level through high school at home. Although she has expressed some interest in ...