Lesley Vogel details training of late actress Hayden Panettiere

Lesley Vogel, mother and former manager of the late actress Hayden Panettiere, has detailed the rigorous training used to prepare her daughter for a career in daytime television. Vogel, who also served as Panettiere’s acting coach, described teaching the child to produce tears on command as early as age four to meet the intense demands of soap operas.

Panettiere began her career at age four in ‘One Life to Live’ and later appeared in ‘Guiding Light’. The training involved relentless script practice to manage the high volume of daily dialogue required in the industry. In her memoir, ‘This is Me: A Reckoning’, Panettiere referred to herself as a ‘little soldier’ during her formative years in the spotlight.

Panettiere passed away on August 16 in Greenville, South Carolina, from a suspected drug overdose. Vogel, who was estranged from her daughter at the time of her death, has faced criticism from media figures regarding the intensity of the training and the timing of Panettiere’s entry into show business.