Disney fans remember beloved film after Hayden Panettiere dies a year on from co-star

In 2005, Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg glided onto the big screen as two teenage figure skaters in the Disney film Ice Princess. More than two decades later, following news of Panettiere’s death, fans of the much-loved film are mourning the loss of the two stars at its heart. Panettiere has died at the age of 36, her father announced in a statement on Monday (17 August) with a cause of death yet to be announced.

Only a year ago, her co-star Trachtenberg died in February 2025 from natural complications of diabetes at the age of 39. My goodness,” said another. Panettiere and Trachtenberg were 16 and 20 respectively when they starred in the charming coming-of-age film written by The Princess Diaries’ Meg Cabot and Hadley Davis.

In it, Trachtenberg played shy and sweet Casey, the school brainiac with her sights set on Harvard. Hoping to land a scholarship to her dream school, she develops a computer program that analyses the moves of figure skaters to suggest improvements based on physics. Testing her programme at the local ice rink, she finds that it works not only on figure skaters, but also on herself as Casey uncovers a secret talent and love for the sport – much to the horror of her intellectual mother (Joan Cusack).

Panettiere, meanwhile, played popular girl Gen, a long-time figure skater under the intense tutelage of her mother, a former Olympic contender played by Kim Cattrall. New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. The film initially sets the girls up to be fierce rivals, but what unfolds instead is an uplifting story of friendship as they help one another achieve their dreams. Twenty-one years on, Ice Princess has become a nostalgic comfort watch for many who first saw it on Disney Channel growing up.

Panettiere had a number of iconic scenes, such as Gen’s salad order – “Just iceberg lettuce. Half a cup of garbanzos, and a lemon wedge. Oh, and a quarter cup of cheese!” – and her graceful skate performance to The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi.