# Jansen Panettiere
**Jansen Panettiere** (full name Jansen Rane Panettiere) was an American actor and writer who worked in film, television, and voice acting from childhood, best known for the animated film *Robots* (2005), the [Nickelodeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nickelodeon) film *The Last Day of Summer* (2007), and a 2018 guest role on *The Walking Dead*. He was the younger brother of actress [Hayden Panettiere](https://www.edgepedia.org/hayden-panettiere), and he died in New York City on February 19, 2023, at the age of 28.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Palisades, New York, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/) |
| Died | February 19, 2023, New York City, age 28[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/) |
| Cause of death | Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) coupled with aortic valve complications[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jansen_panettiere) |
| Family | Younger brother of actress Hayden Panettiere; parents Lesley Vogel and Skip Panettiere[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/) |
| Signature roles | Younger Rodney (voice) in *Robots* (2005), Luke Malloy in *The Last Day of Summer* (2007), Huko in *The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone* (2013)[4](https://www.imdb.com/es/name/nm1429242/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jansen_panettiere) |
| Voice work | Periwinkle in *Blue's Clues* (sixth and final season), *Racing Stripes* (2005), *The X's* (2005–07)[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jansen_panettiere) |
| Recognition | Young Artist Award nomination in 2008 for *The Last Day of Summer*[5](https://www.tmz.com/2023/02/20/hayden-panettiere-brother-jansen-panettiere-dead-dies/) |
## Family
Jansen Panettiere was born in 1994 in Palisades, New York, to soap opera actress Lesley Vogel and Alan L. "Skip" Panettiere, a fire department lieutenant.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/) His sister Hayden Panettiere, five years his senior, was already a working child actor, and he followed her into the entertainment industry.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jansen-panettiere-dead-hayden-age-cause-b2286244.html) The two starred together in the [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) film *Tiger Cruise* (2004) and the partly animated family film *Racing Stripes* (2005).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/)
## Acting career
**Child and teen roles.** Panettiere's early screen work included a supporting role as Joey in *Tiger Cruise* (2004) and voice parts in *Racing Stripes* (2005) and the Nickelodeon series *The X's* (2005–07).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jansen_panettiere) He voiced Periwinkle in the [Nick Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-jr) show *Blue's Clues* for its sixth and final season, and he starred as Luke Malloy in the Nickelodeon film *The Last Day of Summer* (2007).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jansen_panettiere) His live-action film work in this period included *The Perfect Game* (2008), in which he played Enrique, and *The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry* (2008), in which he played Dustin.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jansen_panettiere)
**Adult roles.** As an adult he played Huko in *The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone* (2013), Robbie in *[The Martial Arts Kid](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-martial-arts-kid)* (2015), and Broom in *Summer Forever* (2015).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jansen_panettiere) On television he appeared in a 2012 episode of TNT's *Major Crimes* as Reed Downy and Rory Brooks, and in 2018 he guest starred as Casper in season 9 of AMC's *The Walking Dead*.[7](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-231712/filmographie/) His later film credits included Hayes in *How High 2* (2019) and Robin in the 2022 film *Love and Love Not*, his final screen appearance.[7](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-231712/filmographie/) • [6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jansen-panettiere-dead-hayden-age-cause-b2286244.html)
His television credits also included CBS's *Everybody Hates Chris*, NBC's *Third Watch*, ABC's *Hope and Faith*, and Disney Channel's *Even Stevens*, and he played Elliott Perry in a stage production of *8* at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.[8](https://latw.org/artist-public-profile/jansen-panettiere)
## Art and fashion
Beyond acting, Panettiere worked as a visual artist and described himself on his website as "One of a kind. Artist. Creator. Actor. Human Being."[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jansen-panettiere-dead-hayden-age-cause-b2286244.html) In the weeks before his death he was sharing his artwork publicly and promoting a fashion line of sports and casual wear adorned with his own designs.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jansen-panettiere-dead-hayden-age-cause-b2286244.html) He also maintained his own clothing brand, "r.a.n.e.38"; his sister Hayden wore a custom bomber jacket he had designed to his funeral.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/) He held a black belt in krav maga.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/)
## Death
Panettiere died on February 19, 2023, in New York City at age 28.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/) A representative confirmed the death to Deadline, and law enforcement officials were reportedly called to his New York home that Sunday evening; no foul play was suspected.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jansen-panettiere-dead-hayden-age-cause-b2286244.html) • [5](https://www.tmz.com/2023/02/20/hayden-panettiere-brother-jansen-panettiere-dead-dies/) About a week later, his family announced that the medical examiner had attributed his sudden death to cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart, coupled with aortic valve complications.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/) • [9](https://shuiliangyin.com/uploads/files/202507191112503623.pdf) He was survived by his sister and his parents.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jansen-panettiere-dead-hayden-age-cause-b2286244.html)
## References
1. [Jansen Panettiere, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/)
2. [Jansen Panettiere Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1429242/bio/)
3. [Jansen Panettiere Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jansen_panettiere)
4. [Jansen Panettiere, IMDb (Spanish edition)](https://www.imdb.com/es/name/nm1429242/)
5. [Hayden Panettiere's Brother Jansen Panettiere Dead At 28, TMZ](https://www.tmz.com/2023/02/20/hayden-panettiere-brother-jansen-panettiere-dead-dies/)
6. [Jansen Panettiere death: Actor and brother of Hayden Panettiere dies aged 28, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/jansen-panettiere-dead-hayden-age-cause-b2286244.html)
7. [Jansen Panettiere : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-231712/filmographie/)
8. [Jansen Panettiere, L.A. Theatre Works](https://latw.org/artist-public-profile/jansen-panettiere)
9. [Hayden Panettiere biography excerpt (aortic valve complications from enlarged heart)](https://shuiliangyin.com/uploads/files/202507191112503623.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames P to Ph*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license