Before her tragic death at 36 in August, Hayden Panettiere made her final on-screen appearance in the psychological thriller film Sleepwalker. Her co-star, Justin Chatwin, has opened up about their time on set, revealing that he could tell the Nashville actress was "struggling" and "really lonely" while working on the movie.
In the film, released in January this year, Hayden starred as a grieving mother, haunted by her daughter's tragic death in a car accident, which also leaves her abusive husband in a coma.
© Alamy Stock Photo"I could tell she was struggling, and I was like, 'I don't think it's this movie,'" Justin told People. "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."
Justin revealed that the film's heavy subject matter struck a chord with Hayden. "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," he shared. "She opened up to me about a lot of things."
© FilmMagicHe also revealed that Hayden "seemed different" to when he first met her years earlier, while she was filming the hit TV show Heroes.
Hayden Panettiere's untimely death
Hayden, famed for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, died on Sunday 16 August – just days before her 37th birthday.
The Greenville County Coroner's Office said "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death" during an autopsy.
© FilmMagicA statement added: "The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies."
Hayden's father Skip described his daughter as "an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen."
Hayden Panettiere's acting career
Hayden began her acting career as a child, appearing in soap operas before landing her first major role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans alongside Denzel Washington. She also voiced Dot in Pixar's 1998 film A Bug's Life.
She later shot to fame as cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before going on to star as country singer Juliette Barnes on the hit TV series Nashville.
© WireImage for Teen VogueAs for her big-screen roles, Hayden starred in 2006's Bring It On: All Or Nothing, the comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and also appeared in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.
Away from the screen, Hayden was a mother to her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. While struggling with addiction and postpartum depression in 2018, Hayden made the decision to give full custody of Kaya to Wladimir.
