cheerleader

Panettiere’s high school hero emerged on TV during the “sheroes” era of the aughts, arriving in the wake of Sydney Bristow on “Alias” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” another cheerleader turned supernatural brawler.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Panettiere, who earned acclaim for her roles as a cheerleader with supernatural powers on the TV show “Heroes” and as a troubled country music diva on the show “Nashville,” was 36.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Panettiere’s star rose exponentially, however, in 2006 when she debuted as indestructible Texas cheerleader Claire Bennet in “Heroes,” which quickly became a massive hit for its network NBC.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Her big breakthrough came the same year, when she was cast as another cheerleader - this time with the power of rapid cellular regeneration - in the highly popular sci-fi series Heroes.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

“Maybe if you were a petite cheerleader again. But—I’m not sure if you fully realize this—you’re a big, threatening dude today. My mother’s voice is very loud and clear in my head: ‘No dark corners.’”

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

Soon after, the cheerleaders for the 1976 championship basketball team came out to perform.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

Most cheerleaders are holding down full-time jobs alongside their Cowboys commitment – with training wrapping up sometimes as late as midnight.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Then the ingénue from the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders docuseries quit the whole thing—the squad, the hit show and the famous hot-pants uniform with matching white cowboy boots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Your oldest friends won’t always be your biggest cheerleaders when your back is turned.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

Abby and the other cheerleaders rush off to the bathroom as soon as the parade ends to get into their uniforms, and Nick and I look up at the bleachers.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli