Hayden Panettiere got a fabulous viewpoint, as a result of guardians: At 21, Hayden Panettiere, the voice of Red Riding Hood in “Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil,” isn’t above taking a little advice from a parent.
“My mom, who has worked as my acting coach, told me something a long time ago about this business. She said, ‘Hayden, listen to what’s being said … not what you want to hear.’”That has helped get over the low moments, like her TV show “Heroes” losing an audience.
“My dad took me into the bathroom when I was younger and closed one door while opening the other door. He reminded me of that old saying about one door closing. It’s a good thing we had a bathroom with two doors,” she says, laughing.
The other door is opening wide. Besides “Hoodwinked Too!,” Panettiere also has a role in “Scream 4.”“For months my friends were like, ‘Tell us about ‘Scream,’ and I was like, ‘I can’t! I can’t,’ ” she says. She says it was fun to return to her animation roots after playing an ant in “A Bug’s Life.”
“It’s a blast to be a fantasy fairy tale character like Red Riding Hood,” Panettiere says. “This new movie puts a modern twist on her. It’s the badass version of Riding Hood as a secret agent. The great thing about animated films is you can play a character you would never have the nerve to do. You also don’t have to worry about hair and makeup.”
She recently chopped off her trademark long hair. “I like dramatic changes,” Panettiere says. “It’s a thrilling experience when you chop your hair off because you become another person.”