Hayden Panettiere’s Heroes co-star remembers the side of her that people rarely got to see

Hayden Panettiere’s Heroes co-star Sendhil Ramamurthy has shared a glimpse of what the actress was like behind the scenes, remembering her as someone who looked out for people and was generous with her time.

Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, aged 36. Following her death, Ramamurthy, who played Mohinder Suresh alongside her on Heroes, shared memories of working with the actress and the kindness he saw from her on set.

Rather than only remembering Panettiere for her role as Claire Bennet, he highlighted the way she treated the people around her.

Hayden looked out for people on the Heroes set

Ramamurthy said he first met Panettiere during the final screen test for Heroes, and even then, she stood out to him.

“This is such a rough one,” he wrote on Instagram. “The 1st time I met Hayden was at the final screen test for Heroes. I was so nervous I was sweating through my shirt b4 I even got there. I went straight to the bathroom to compose myself and then went to sign in, expecting to find a bunch of fellow nervous-as-hell actors.”

Instead, he found Panettiere “belting show tunes in the waiting room” without “a single nerve in sight.”

He described her as “already a pro” and said he “learned a lot from her” during their time working together.

Panettiere was still a teenager when Heroes premiered in 2006. Her character Claire became one of the show’s central figures.

He said Hayden looked out for people on set

 

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A post shared by Sendhil Ramamurthy (@sendhil_rama)

Ramamurthy also remembered Panettiere for how she treated those around her.

“She stuck up for background actors when they were mistreated, knew every crew member’s name, and was so generous with her time,” he wrote. “Then there was me and Adrian Pasdar, being the responsible adults we are, going to the studio school room where Hayd had to go to class in between set ups, and coming up with excuses to try and boost her out of class.”

Ramamurthy also said, “The above pic was taken in Vegas the day after the Golden Globes. We had to do press, and I wasn’t feeling well. Hayd kept going on and on at me about drinking fluids and made sure I had plenty of Gatorade.”

“That’s how I will remember her: A kind, joyful, professional, shi*talker, who even at a young age, understood the importance of hydration,” he wrote.

He then wrote, “Sending love to her family, friends, and my fellow cast mates, RIP Hayd. You will be missed.”

Tributes from other people who worked with Panettiere have also followed since her death.

Her official cause and manner of death have not yet been confirmed. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

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