The Malcolm In The Middle Character You Forgot Hayden Panettiere Played

In four episodes of "Malcolm in the Middle," Panettiere guest starred as Jessica, the Wilkerson's neighbor. She is first introduced in the 2003 episode "Stereo Store," where Hal hires her to babysit the boys even though she's the same age as Malcolm. In episodes like "Pearl Harbor" and "Jessica Stays Over," we learn that Jessica has a penchant for pranks, but her humor may be a coping mechanism (via IMDb). Jessica has a difficult home life as her parents are going through a divorce, among other problems. She seemingly finds comfort in the chaotic nature of the Wilkersons because they really are a close family deep down. 

Panettiere's last appearance on the show was in the 2005 episode "Secret Boyfriend," where she plays the ultimate prank on Malcolm. At the time, he is dating a girl named Vicki (Sarah Wright) who uses him and treats him poorly. To get them to break up, Jessica pretends she has romantic feelings for Malcolm. The two even kiss, but the spark isn't there as their relationship has always resembled that of sibling love/hate. Unfortunately, the curly-haired Jessica's story ended with her deception of Malcolm on the series, but Panettiere's career in Hollywood did not. 

Panettiere is best known for starring in long-running shows like "Heroes" and "Nashville." She also has a few memorable films like "Scream 4" and "I Love You, Beth Cooper" (via IMDb).