Ice Princess Director Remembers Panettiere, Trachtenberg

The death of actress Hayden Panettiere at age 36 has prompted an outpouring of tributes, with particular focus on her 2005 Disney film Ice Princess and its co-star Michelle Trachtenberg, who died in February 2025. Panettiere’s father, Alan Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement on August 17, describing her as “an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her and to the millions who watched her onscreen.” No cause of death has been announced.

The news led to a surge of nostalgia for Ice Princess, in which Panettiere played competitive figure skater Gen Harwood and Trachtenberg played physics prodigy Casey Carlyle. The film, which followed the two teenagers as they navigated ambition and friendship on the ice, became a trending topic on social media as fans mourned the loss of both stars. “Both Ice Princesses are gone,” one fan wrote, while another commented, “Neither making it to 40 is nuts.”

Tim Fywell, the director of Ice Princess, released a statement paying tribute to both actresses. “It was really upsetting to hear yesterday of the death of Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36,” Fywell said. He remembered...