Who was Jansen Panettiere? Hayden Panettiere’s brother died three years ago before her own demise

Jansen Panettiere worked across film, television and voice acting before his sudden death in February 2023

Hayden Panettiere’s death at 36 has brought renewed attention to her family, including her younger brother Jansen Panettiere, who died three years earlier at the age of 28. Jansen was also an actor, having followed his older sister into the entertainment industry and built a career of his own across television, film and voice work.

Jansen Rane Panettiere was born on September 25, 1994, in Palisades, New York. He was the younger child of former soap opera actress Lesley Vogel and Alan Lee "Skip" Panettiere, a former firefighter. His sister Hayden had already begun working as a child actor by the time Jansen entered the industry.

Jansen began acting professionally as a child, appearing in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens in 2002. He subsequently took roles in television programmes including Hope & Faith and Third Watch. His career also expanded into voice acting, an area where he became associated with several recognisable children's and animated projects.

He voiced Periwinkle in the sixth season of Blue's Clues and later provided voices for Racing Stripes, Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown and Nickelodeon's The X's. His work on Ice Age: The Meltdown saw him voice Shovelmouth Boy, while he played Truman X in The X's.

Jansen also appeared alongside his sister Hayden. The siblings both featured in the 2004 Disney Channel film Tiger Cruise, with Jansen playing Joey while Hayden starred in the film. They later worked together again on The Forger, a 2012 film starring Josh Hutcherson. Jansen also contributed voice work to Racing Stripes, which featured Hayden in a leading role.

One of Jansen's notable lead performances came in the 2007 Nickelodeon television film The Last Day of Summer, in which he played Luke Malloy. His performance earned him a Young Artist Award nomination. He continued appearing in films including The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, The Perfect Game, The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone and The Martial Arts Kid.

Later in his career, Jansen appeared in The Walking Dead, playing Casper in the AMC series. His final television role came in 2019, while his film credits included How High 2.

Jansen died on February 19, 2023, in New York at 28. When news of his death was first reported, his cause of death had not been immediately established. His family later confirmed that the medical examiner determined he died from cardiomegaly, meaning an enlarged heart, together with aortic valve complications.

Following his death, Hayden and her family asked for privacy while they grieved. Hayden later spoke publicly about the devastating impact of losing her younger brother. His death remained an important part of her personal story as she continued her own career and returned to acting.

Jansen was also increasingly pursuing visual art alongside acting before his death. His career may have been shorter and less internationally recognised than Hayden's, but his credits show a varied path through children's television, animation, family films, independent productions and mainstream television.

With Hayden's death now confirmed in August 2026, the loss of both siblings has brought renewed focus to Jansen's life and career. The two Panettiere siblings each established themselves as performers from a young age, worked together on screen and remained connected personally throughout their lives.