Connie Britton Pays Tribute To ‘Nashville’ Co-Star Hayden Panettiere

Following her breakout role as cheerleader Claire Bennett on NBC’s Heroes, Hayden Panettiere in 2012 was cast as the co-lead opposite Connie Britton in the ABC country music drama Nashville.

Following Panettiere’s passing at the age of 36, Britton posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.

“This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright,” Britton wrote next to carousel of photos from Nashville. “I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now. ”

Panettiere was actually the first of the two leads to be cast in the show, joined later by the Friday Night Lights star.

The series centered on 40-year-old Nashville superstar Rayna James (Britton) who is stunned to find that her star is fading and her label requires her to team up with teen sensation Juliette Barnes (Panettiere) on tour–or else face the loss of her own tour and the label’s promotion of her latest record, whose sales have been underwhelming.

It was the dynamic between Rayna and Juliette and the chemistry Britton and Panettiere that made Nashville a hit.

In later seasons, the show, which moved from ABC to CMT after four years, chronicled Juliette’s struggles with alcoholism, substance abuse and postpartum depression, all issues Panettiere had been dealing with in real life. She admitted in interviews that doing the storyline that mirrored her experiences was traumatizing.

Panettiere had a rocky tenure on Nashville. Her addiction problems would spiral, impacting production. Meanwhile, she felt that the show did not have her back.

“It’s just shocking to me how little empathy people had,” she said of Nashville a couple of months ago while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published this past May. “There were plenty of people who made the choice to not protect me.”

When it came to Britton, Panettiere always had nice things to say, calling her “amazing,” “so supportive” and “just a class act.”

“Just being able to be on screen with her, I was honored,” Panettiere told EW last year.

Nashville came from Lionsgate, which co-produced the series with ABC Studios.

“Lionsgate and the entire Nashville family mourn the tragic passing of Hayden Panettiere, a singular talent who brought so much life, radiance and conviction to the role of Juliette Barnes,” the indie studio, said in a statement. “Her unflinching and nuanced portrayal of a rising star ingenue captivated millions of fans around the world for six wonderful seasons. She has left us far too young, but we are richer for the gifts she shared with us in the many film and television roles she inhabited with so much grace and vitality. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends.”