Connie Britton’s Tribute to Hayden Panettiere: ‘Bursting With Brilliance’
Connie Britton is mourning her Nashville co-star Hayden Panettiere, who died August 16 at age 36.
On Monday, Britton took to Instagram to share a photo of herself and Panettiere in the ABC/CMT drama.
“This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright,” she captioned the post.
“I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak,” the actor continued. “I love you girl. Sleep easy now.”
On Nashville, Panettiere played Juliette Barnes, an up-and-coming young country singer. Britton played Rayna Jaymes, an older, more established country star who is threatened by Juliette’s rise.
In 2025, Panettiere reflected on working with Britton on Nashville, calling her older co-star “amazing” and “so supportive.”
Nashville was originally envisioned as a solo vehicle for Britton but was reimagined once producers saw the dynamic between Rayna and Juliette in the show’s pilot. The switch felt a little awkward at first, Panettiere said, but Britton swiftly adapted to the change.
“It was difficult to play that sometimes, that competitiveness, where we were in opposition and against each other,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “And it’s not what we thought it was going to be, so it was very difficult to step in.”
“Connie is just a class act,” Panettiere added. “She is so smart and so wise, and just being able to be on screen with her, I was honored. I think we kept each other grounded throughout the whole thing.”
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