Standing Strong

After battling substance abuse and postpartum depression, Hayden Panettiere is ready for her next chapter. She's discovering new purpose in renovating her long-held home, nourishing herself via self-care practices, and returning to work. And she's taking it one day at a time.

- VERA PAPISOVA

It's the fourth consecutive day of rain in Los Angeles, and Hayden Panettiere, clad in a white sweatshirt and sweatpants, is lighting candles in the guest room of her apartment before cozying up underneath a blanket. The 33-year-old actor has owned this home since she was 16 years old-one of her first big purchases after moving from New York to L.A. and landing the role of Claire on the hit NBC series Heroes.

"This is the last place my family lived all together," she says of her parents and younger brother, Jansen. Hayden moved multiple times over the past 15 years, including relocating to Tennessee to film the TV show Nashville. But she always held on to this place. Recently, she's been renovating it into her personal sanctuary since returning to L.A. after a four-year hiatus from acting. "I've completely redone it," she beams, looking over her shoulder at two black-and-white prints she brought back from Montreal, where she shot Scream 6. She's particularly fond of the lighting she installed-bulbs that change color to suit your mood. Now, they're pink and yellow for warmth. "It feels like home," she says.

There's no missing the symbolism: This homecoming isn't simply about a place. For Hayden, it's a state of mind, a return to her roots to herself-after years of struggling with postpartum depression and substance abuse and giving up custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex, retired pro boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Hayden admits she's nervous to do a cover tied to a movie release-it's been awhile. But she says it's important to her. "A lot of people feel stuck," she says. "I want to let them know they're not alone." Plus, she has decades of experience to guide her.