Actor Charles Esten pays tribute to his “Nashville” co-star Hayden Panettiere, recalling how they first met during auditions and quickly became “fast friends.” Both Rolling Stone and Deadline describe Esten’s recollections as affectionate and personal, highlighting their early on-set rapport.
The outlets place Esten’s comments in the broader context of Panettiere’s death announcement. Deadline notes that Esten joined the “Nashville” pilot as a late cast addition and references the timeline of his casting, including that he was the last series regular announced in March 2012 for the country music drama about fading Nashville hopefuls. Rolling Stone focuses more directly on the tone of the friendship remembrance, framing the tribute as touching and grounded in their shared working relationship. While both sources emphasize the same overall theme—Esten reflecting on their connection—the details differ in emphasis, with Deadline providing more production context and Rolling Stone centering the personal memory.
