Hayden Panettiere made her final on-screen appearance in ‘Sleepwalker,’ and one of her co-stars is opening up about what working with the actress was like and what he noticed before her tragic passing at the age of 36.
Justin Chatwin starred in the movie alongside her, which was filmed in the movie in winter 2025, and it was ultimately released in January 2026. Panettiere portrayed a woman struggling with the loss of daughter who died in a car crash.
“We hit it off great and it was an awesome shoot, but it was about domestic abuse and it was subject matter that may have hit close to home, because she did mention it. She opened up to me about a lot of things,” Chatwin told PEOPLE.
Panettiere and Chatwin first met when she starred in the superhero drama Heroes.
“Hayden seemed different when I met her this time than when I met her in the early years,” Chatwin says. “I’ve been sober for 15 years, so I know this world of addiction, and Hollywood — it takes, and it takes from youth.”
Hayden Panettiere Was ‘Struggling’ During Filming
When speaking with PEOPLE, Chatwin detailed what he noticed while working with Panettiere on her final film, specifically shedding light on her demeanor during that time.
“I could tell she was struggling, and I was like, ‘I don’t think it’s this movie,’” Chatwin says. “There’s a handful of women that I’ve worked with that I really liked, and I really loved working with her, but I also know that she was really lonely.”
Chatwin also spoke about his reaction to finding out about his co-star’s death.
“I felt sad this morning, but I feel angry. Because I want to point a finger at something for this, and it keeps happening,” he says. “She was delightful and super open and we had a great time together and I’m just saddened that another one got taken down. It’s not the first, you know, and it’s yearly, dude, and it’s like no one’s really addressing it.”
‘Sleepwalker‘ Filmmaker Shares Heartfelt Tribute
GettyIn a statement to PEOPLE, Brandon Auman, the filmmaker who wrote and directed Sleepwalker, said he is “completely gutted over Hayden’s passing.”
“She was such a bright, open, numinous spirit. I keep thinking back to our time on set and how much she taught me,” Auman wrote. “She was open and honest about the last few years of her life and how it related to her character. I’m keeping those conversations private, but I was struck by how complex and deeply introspective she was. She lived a dozen lives in one short beautiful life. I’ll miss her forever.”
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