source:  independent.co.uk

Hayden Panettiere is the poster girl of hit television show Heroes. The plot of the series about ordinary people who suddenly discover they’ve got superpowers could almost work as a metaphor for the life of the 18-year-old. Overnight she was thrown into the global limelight by the phenomenal success of the show. Every word and action of this girl from upstate New York became newsworthy, including her wardrobe, the men on her arm and, perhaps more surprisingly, her politics.

In Heroes, which returns to BBC2 tonight, Panettiere (pronounced Pah-nuh-tee-air-ay, like the Italian for “baker”) plays Claire Bennet, a 15-year-old cheerleader, who, in the first episode, discovered that she could heal instantly from any injury. The indestructible high-school student is forced to hide her ability from her peers and maintain a relationship with her father, a man who is keenly interested in people with special powers.

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source: contactmusic.com

Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia is stunned by the sheer number of free gifts he now receives - because he can finally afford to pay for the expensive items.
The 30-year-old quickly became a household name in 2006 after landing the role of Peter Petrelli on the hit sci-fi show - and the actor insists he is still baffled by the benefits his fame has brought him.
He says, “Having a recognisable face makes a world of difference. Stores now offer me great deals.
“It’s silly - you get to a point in your career where you have the means to pay for high-ticket items and then people give you stuff (for free).”

source: BBC News

As care nurse Peter Petrelli in futuristic TV drama Heroes, he was persuaded he needed to “save the cheerleader” to protect the future of the planet.

The show has gained critical acclaim - and a Bafta Television Award in London on Sunday - for its portrayal of a group of people with special powers, giving them the chance to fly, time-travel or vanish, for instance.

Ventimiglia’s character is a little different from the rest, however, as initially he has no powers of his own. His talent is to absorb others’ abilities by standing beside them, and the first series saw Peter Petrelli coming to terms with the havoc this could cause.

The end of series one brought the conclusion of his mission involving cheerleader Claire Bennet, played by Hayden Panettiere.

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Milo Ventimiglia has admitted he and his friends make fun of his status as a sex symbol.

Speaking at the BAFTA Television Awards after Heroes picked up the Best International Show prize, the actor said he finds “humour” in his heartthrob image.

“My friends make fun of me a lot more nowadays because of it. I’m just a normal guy with a day job like anybody else to them,” he said.

“When you get magazines saying, ‘Hey, that guy’s sexy’ or people scream it from their cars as they’re driving by - my friends and I find a lot of humour in it.”

Ventimiglia’s co-star Adrian Pasdar, who plays his brother Nathan Petrelli on the hit show, said he found it “silly” that people think of him as sexy.

Ventimiglia disagreed adding: “It’s not so silly. I get to stand close to him in every scene we do and we’re always touching. He is a sexy man.”