Charles Esten recalls meeting Hayden Panettiere on “Nashville” audition after her death

Hayden Panettiere’s death has prompted fresh remembrances from her former colleagues, including Charles Esten, who said he remembered a “sweet” first meeting with her during the audition period for the ABC country-music drama Nashville. Esten’s comments came in the wake of tributes from other Nashville cast members, including Connie Britton, who had posted a heartfelt tribute after Panettiere died on Sunday at age 36, according to Deadline.

Esten, a series lead on Nashville, recalled being part of the project’s casting and development phase when he encountered Panettiere. He described that first interaction as especially meaningful, telling Deadline he felt he had “great gift” in being able to work and act with her. The outlet’s account positions the memory as both personal and tied to the show’s working environment rather than as a detailed discussion of plot or production timelines.

Deadline reported that Esten joined Nashville as a late addition to the show’s cast. The outlet’s summary places his involvement in the context of an evolving pilot and early series rollout, when the producers added or finalized additional major characters. Esten’s recollection, as described by Deadline, centers on his introduction to Panettiere and the early rapport he noticed as casting came together.

The story also situates Panettiere within the Nashville ensemble, noting that she became a key part of the series’ on-screen dynamic. Deadline described Panettiere’s death and the public attention it drew from co-stars and viewers, while also pointing to the show’s long-running presence in pop culture during its original run.

Esten’s remarks came after Deadline noted additional tributes from Nashville’s cast. Connie Britton, who had played a central role in the series, publicly memorialized Panettiere in a separate post highlighted by Deadline. Together, the accounts underscore how Panettiere’s work on Nashville remained a shared reference point for the cast when they addressed her death.

In Deadline’s recap, the outlet also pointed to broader production milestones for Nashville, including the casting announcements that followed pilot development. It said Esten was the last series regular to be announced in March 2012 for the country-music drama, a detail that places his participation in the same early period when other major roles, including Panettiere’s, were being set for the program’s first season.

As of publication of the Deadline report on August 18, no additional public details about Panettiere’s death beyond the age and timing described by the outlet had been included in the material provided for this account. The next steps for fans and industry observers will likely focus on additional statements from the Nashville cast and other representatives, along with any network or production acknowledgments related to the show’s schedule and press plans.

For Esten and other former cast members, the recollections described by Deadline emphasize the professional and interpersonal side of television work, not a re-creation of specific scenes. In the remarks highlighted by the outlet, the first encounter itself is presented as part of why the collaboration mattered, with Esten framing the opportunity to act alongside Panettiere as something he valued from the start.