Ten Things You Never Knew About Hayden Panettiere

She may have shot to stardom as cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes, but Hayden Panettiere has been in front of the camera since she was just a tot. In her 18 years, the diminutive actress has packed in 20 movies, countless TV appearances and some serious activism on behalf of whales, all the while keeping her head firmly screwed on. As if all that - and a heartthrob boyfriend in the shape of Heroes co-star Milo Ventimiglia - wasn't enough, she's now followed in the footsteps of so many other thesps and released a single. As 'Wake Up Call' hits shelves this week, we unveil some tantalising titbits about Hollywood's most sensible starlet.

1. Hayden's mum was a former soap actress and her dad a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department. He retired shortly before 9/11 and Hayden grew up with some of the firefighters who died in the attacks.

2. Hayden's unusual last name means "baker" in Italian.

3. Hayden may have long blonde hair now but she was folicly-challenged for the first few years of her life. She recalls: "I was completely bald until I was three. My mother had to tie bows around my head so that I wouldn't scare other children."

4. Hayden is very close to her younger brother Jansen, an actor five years her junior. She describes him as "the greatest present our dad and mum ever gave me". Aww!

5. Hayden began modelling at just five months old and launched her acting career at 11 months when she appeared in an advert. She has since appeared in over 50 commercials.

6. Hayden's friends call her Hay-Hay, Hayd or Mushroom.

7. Hayden got her big break at the grand old age of four in US soap One Life To Live. She became the first child actress to star in two soaps at once when she landed a role in Guiding Light three years later.

8. After shooting 2005 movie Racing Stripes in South Africa, Hayden chose to stay in the country to finish her first year of high school. She also learned how to ride a zebra on set.

9. Squeaky-clean Hayden was caught boozing with Paris Hilton when she was 16 years old. She gushes of her longtime pal: "She’s a nice girl and a lot brighter than people give her credit [for] but no-one sees her like that because she plays this character all the time. She’s actually a marketing genius." We'll take your word for it on that one if you don't mind, Mushroom!

10. Hayden has no patience with people who treat her like an airhead. She snaps: "I find it funny to watch people patronise me or think I’m dumb because I’m blonde and young. I know I have a higher IQ than 99% of the brunettes out there. It gives me more of a sense of accomplishment when I achieve things after people have underestimated me." Ouch!