Friday, March 26, 2010

Actress Hayden Panettiere (pan-uh-tee-EHR') plays a hero in her TV show, but she got a chilly reception in a Japanese fishing village highlighted in an Oscar-winning documentary.

Panettiere, her boyfriend and other environmental activists showed up in Taiji (ty-jee) to try to get the village to give up the annual dolphin hunt featured in the documentary, "The Cove." She said she would "love to be a spokesperson" for the town if it abandons the hunt.

There's apparently no interest. Panettiere, who stars in "Heroes," was blocked with the other activists from entering the town hall to see the mayor. And when she went to the cove shown in the movie, two town officials showed up and the area was quickly boarded off.