Disney Fans Mourn Both 'Ice Princess' Stars After Hayden Panettiere Dies a Year After Michelle Trachtenberg

Disney fans are mourning a painful piece of 2000s nostalgia following Hayden Panettiere's death at 36, just over a year after her Ice Princess co-star Michelle Trachtenberg died at 39.

Panettiere's father, Alan 'Skip' Panettiere, confirmed her death in a family statement, saying she was 'an incredible light and a force of nature' who brought immeasurable love and joy to those who knew her and to the millions who watched her on-screen. No cause of death has yet been announced.

The news quickly sent fans back to Ice Princess, the 2005 Disney film that paired Panettiere and Trachtenberg as teenage figure skaters navigating ambition, pressure and friendship.

'Both Ice Princesses are gone,' one fan wrote on social media. Another posted, 'Neither making it to 40 is nuts. My goodness.'

Trachtenberg died in February 2025 of complications from diabetes mellitus, according to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, which ruled her death natural.

Why Ice Princess Still Hurts

Panettiere was 15 when Ice Princess was released and played Gen Harwood, a talented and popular skater under intense pressure from her mother, played by Kim Cattrall.

Trachtenberg, then 20, starred as Casey Carlyle, a shy physics prodigy whose plans for Harvard begin to change when she discovers her own talent on the ice.

The film initially frames Gen and Casey as rivals. But its emotional pull comes from the way their relationship grows into something warmer, with both girls pushing against the futures their mothers imagined for them.

For many viewers who grew up with the film, Ice Princess became more than a sports movie. It was a coming-of-age story about girls choosing their own paths.

Panettiere's Memorable Disney Role

Panettiere gave the film some of its best-remembered moments, including Gen's precise salad order, 'Just iceberg lettuce. Half a cup of garbanzos, and a lemon wedge. Oh, and a quarter cup of cheese!'

Her skating scenes also became a nostalgic favourite, with Panettiere performing much of her own skating for the film. Her background in gymnastics helped with the physical demands of the role, and she reportedly performed several of her own moves, including a fast spin used during Gen's regional short programme.

Film critic Roger Ebert praised Ice Princess, saying it 'outskates its genre' and highlighting the convincing performances and characters who develop beyond the film's familiar formula.

Careers That Went Far Beyond Disney

Ice Princess was only one chapter for both actresses. Trachtenberg had already become a familiar face through Harriet the Spy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, later reaching a new generation through Gossip Girl.

Panettiere began appearing on television as a young child, joining One Life to Live at age 4, and later appeared in Ally McBeal, Malcolm in the Middle, Raising Helen and Bring It On: All or Nothing.

Her breakout TV role came as Claire Bennet in Heroes. She later earned two Golden Globe nominations for playing country singer Juliette Barnes in Nashville, and she returned to the horror genre as Kirby Reed in the Scream franchise.

For fans, however, watching Panettiere and Trachtenberg together in Ice Princess now carries a heavier meaning. Two young actresses shared the screen more than two decades ago in a film about growing up, chasing dreams and finding their own paths. Now, both are being remembered as stars who died before reaching 40.