Charles Esten has paid tribute to the late actress Hayden Panettiere in a sweet post on his Instagram profile. The duo starred alongside one another in ‘Nashville’, and Charles has never forgotten the first time he met her. He recalled a quirky but lovely interaction he had with Hayden and how her beaming a smile at him that day was something he really needed.
Charles’ Tribute Post Online
Charles shared a carousel of snaps featuring him and Hayden laughing together and hanging out on set with the rest of the cast. He penned a lengthy caption trying to process his grief while wishing to show readers just how kind Hayden was during her time on Earth.
The caption began: “Patty [his wife] and I are stunned and saddened at the loss of our dear and beautiful friend Hayden. I will never forget the first time I met her.
“In a sound stage office in Hollywood, I was finishing up my very first NASHVILLE audition. I had read two Deacon scenes before pulling out my guitar and singing two songs. I said my goodbyes and, hoping I’d done well, went to open the door to leave. Instead of swinging all the way out, the door bumped into somebody. Kinda hard.
“To my complete surprise, It was Hayden Paniettiere, who – in full Juliette Barnes mode – had been listening with her ear to the door. Instead of looking even a little bit caught, her face instantly bloomed into the most beautiful smile. Eyes twinkling, she clapped her hands and said, “That was so good!!”
“I can promise you that in that moment, there was nothing in the world I needed to hear more than that. I told her that, along with my HEROES-watching family, I was already a big fan of hers, and that I was grateful for the very kind words. It was her turn to go in, so as I went to leave, I said a jokingly cocky, “See you on the set!””
Charles then did, in fact, end up landing the part and seeing Hayden on the set. He continued: “I was, of course, many auditions away from landing that incredible role. But when I finally did, and showed up in Nashville to start work, she walked right up to me, pointed in my face, and with that magical grin said, “See you on the set!””
The pair quickly became friends and made the long days of filming full of laughter and great memories. “From there, we became fast friends, working very hard to play those 2 troubled Nashvillians, but always having fun and laughing a whole lot along the way. She was, of course, extraordinarily talented, infusing her larger-than-life character with all the heart, charisma, humor, whip-smart intelligence, and flat-out magic that were, alongside whatever troubles and pain she carried, a part of her own personal palette. What a great gift it was to act with her, sing with her, and to just be her friend. She was always extremely kind to my family, especially my wife, Patty, who I’m certain she liked even more than me.”
Charles rounded off the post by sharing how “heartbroken” he feels now Hayden is gone, and how he will endlessly miss her. The caption concluded: “Together, we are heartbroken that she is gone, and praying for her family, and for all those who, like us, will miss and mourn her so dearly.
“God bless you, Hayden. Rest In Peace and Light ❤️”
Hayden’s Passing
A friend of Hayden’s found her unresponsive inside of a home in Greenville last week and called 911. According to TMZ the emergency call described Hayden as being “unresponsive” as well as in a state of “cardiac arrest”. Though dispatch audio reportedly indicated that first responders were sent to the scene following a suspected overdose.
Despite CPR efforts, Hayden was pronounced dead a 2:32pm. An official cause of death is yet to be confirmed but autopsy reports so for so no signs of trauma, according to a statement issued by the coroner’s office.
