Ice Princess director Tim Fywell has broken his silence following the death of Hayden Panettiere, calling the loss of both his young stars “really upsetting.”
Fywell, who directed the 2005 Disney film, spoke out after Panettiere, 36, was found dead Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. His statement to Variety carried extra weight because it addressed not just one tragedy but two: Panettiere’s co-star Michelle Trachtenberg died last year at 39, meaning both leads of the beloved teen skating movie are now gone.
“It was really upsetting to hear yesterday of the death of Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36,” Fywell told the outlet. The London-born filmmaker then recalled the young actress he directed two decades earlier: “I remember a brave, sparky, dedicated young actress who lit up the set in rehearsals and then the screen with her vibrant talent.”
Fywell emphasized how the two young actresses worked together on his first Hollywood movie. “Michelle Trachtenberg, Hayden’s co-star in the movie, and she were an amazing pair,” he said. He described them as having “very different personalities” that somehow complemented each other perfectly on set.
The director painted a detailed picture of Panettiere’s work ethic during the technically demanding shoot. She was a “plucky and determined perfectionist, spending hours practising her skating and utterly focused on getting every acting take spot-on and truthful. Which she did,” Fywell said.
Trachtenberg, by contrast, brought a different energy. Fywell recalled her as “fun and kooky” with “brilliant sad-funny comic timing.” The director noted that the film required extensive on-ice sequences that complicated production, making the young actresses’ professionalism all the more valuable.
“In what was often a tough and technically complicated shoot, and my first Hollywood movie, they were delightful to work with and great to have around,” Fywell continued. He closed his tribute with a poignant reflection on time and loss: “I remember them both with huge affection, how they were 20-odd years ago, at that relatively uncomplicated time of their lives, two shining talents, gone far too soon.”
The director’s statement joined a wave of tributes from across Hollywood. Kim Cattrall, who played Panettiere’s onscreen mother in Ice Princess, shared her own brief message: “Rest in peace sweet Hayden. Gone far too soon.” The Sex and the City star posted the tribute on her social media following news of the death.
Viola Davis, who worked with Panettiere on The Architect (2006) and Custody (2016), wrote a longer remembrance. “What an amazing talent you were….so gifted. Julius and I loved working with you….an old, wise soul with such a deep heart,” Davis penned. “I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming.”
Davis added: “I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered. Rest well, Hayden.”
Joy Lenz, who acted alongside a very young Panettiere on the soap opera Guiding Light, offered one of the most personal remembrances. “There is nothing that posting pictures on the internet can do. I avoid it usually in moments like this. But Im here with my head in my hands and I don’t know what else to do in aside from praying for her soul, which I have done and will continue,” Lenz wrote.
She described knowing Panettiere as a child on set. “I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen. She ran through the Screen Gem studio hallways at 222 E44th St. Laughing and playing games in between Guiding Light blocking and camera rehearsals,” Lenz recalled. “Her intelligence was astonishing. She understood scenes and nuance and human struggle like no child I’d ever seen on camera.”
Lenz admitted she felt “crushed” by the loss and regretted losing touch over the years. “I dont understand how this is real. Everything seemed to be turning around. She was coming BACK to life, wasn’t she? It’s too young and there’s still so much more life. And her daughter…. Hayden, you are surround by love. I’m sorry for every moment I didn’t reach out or check in. This can’t be real.”
In the viral moment that has driven renewed interest in Ice Princess, Panettiere died Sunday after being found unresponsive at a residence where she had been temporarily staying in Greenville. First responders arrived around 1:51 p.m. Following a 911 call from an acquaintance, and emergency personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures but were unable to revive her. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. An autopsy completed Monday found no signs of trauma, though her official cause of death remains pending further investigation. The circumstances have drawn particular attention because Panettiere had been open about her struggles with addiction and mental health, and because her younger brother Jansen died suddenly in 2023 at age 28.
Other co-stars from across Panettiere’s career also weighed in. Masi Oka, her Heroes co-star, wrote on X: “Absolutely heartbroken to hear about Hayden. I had the privilege of working closely with her, and I’ll always remember her for her beautiful spirit, immense talent, and the joyful energy she brought to everything she did and the people around her. She was way wiser beyond her years and now gone too soon… My heart goes out to her family and everyone who loved her. Rest in peace, Hayden.”
Jenna Ortega, who appeared with Panettiere in Scream VI (2023), shared on her Instagram Story: “This is such a devastating loss. Rest well.” Melissa Barrera, another Scream VI co-star, posted “Rest in peace sweet Hayden” with a broken heart emoji. Jay Shetty, who hosted Panettiere on his On Purpose podcast earlier this year, commented: “I can’t believe it. Our friendship had just begun and I was so moved by the conversation we shared earlier this year. My love and condolences to her family and fans.”
Panettiere’s death has sent searches for Ice Princess soaring to the top of trending charts as viewers revisit the film where two young actresses, now both deceased, once shared the screen. The movie followed Casey Carlyle (Trachtenberg), a teenager who gives up a Harvard scholarship to pursue figure skating, with Panettiere playing rival-turned-friend Gen Harwood. The film also starred Joan Cusack as Casey’s mother.
Panettiere’s father, Skip Panettiere, asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.” She leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
Panettiere would have turned 37 on Friday.