Charles Esten remembered Hayden Panettiere with a moving moment on the Grand Ole Opry stage days after her death. The actor reflected on their years together on “Nashville” before dedicating a deeply personal song to his late co-star.
He also recalled how Panettiere championed him from their very first meeting, even pushing “Nashville” producers to cast him before she had finished her own audition.
Charles Esten turned his Grand Ole Opry appearance into an emotional tribute to his late “Nashville” co-star Hayden Panettiere.
The singer and actor honored Panettiere during the Saturday, August 22 show, just six days after her death at age 36. Esten performed his song “Somewhere In the Sunshine” in remembrance of the actress, who starred opposite him for six seasons on the ABC and CMT drama.
The setting carried particular significance for Esten. He told the audience that he and Panettiere filmed their first scene together inside the Opry building, only a short distance from where he was performing. “She was just a wonderful, wonderful human being and our hearts are broken right now,” Esten told the crowd.
The 60-year-old then shared what the song meant to him as he reflected on his friend’s death. Esten said his faith and his heart led him to believe Panettiere, who he said had “searched for peace for a long time,” had finally found it. “Right now, she’s somewhere in the sunshine,” he said before performing the song.
Esten Recalls Panettiere’s Kindness From Day One
Long before Esten and Panettiere became co-stars, she was apparently already in his corner. While remembering the actress, “The Office” star revealed that they first crossed paths during auditions for “Nashville.” He had just finished performing two scenes and two songs when he opened the door and bumped into Panettiere, who had been listening from outside.
According to Esten, she immediately praised his audition. The compliment meant plenty, considering he was already a fan of her work on “Heroes.”
But Panettiere reportedly went even further once it was her turn in the room. Esten said he later learned that she told the casting team they would be “crazy” not to hire him, doing so before making her own case for the role of Juliette Barnes.
The actor joked to Panettiere that he would see her on set, even though he had no idea whether he would land the part. A month later, he did.
When they reunited, Panettiere remembered. “I see you’re on the set,” Esten recalled her telling him. For Esten, the story captured her character perfectly. “She did that for me, and that’s how she was,” he said.
Fans Say Charles Esten’s Tribute Shows How Loved Panettiere Was
Esten’s memories of Panettiere struck a nerve with fans, many of whom turned to social media to mourn the actress and revisit “Nashville.”
On Reddit, one fan said the story showed just how loved Panettiere was. Another called Esten’s remembrance “absolutely brilliant and beautiful,” while a third described it as a “wonderful story and celebration of Hayden.”
For some viewers, the loss has also changed the experience of watching her most famous TV work. One commenter said they had started rewatching “Nashville” and found themselves crying every night. Another, who recently began the series for the first time, admitted the show had them “bawling.”
Others reflected on Panettiere’s performance as Juliette Barnes. One fan said the tributes from her former castmates made it clear how deeply she was loved, adding that Panettiere was “fantastic” on the series.
Esten Originally Shared His Heartbreak One Day After Panettiere’s Death
Before taking his grief to the Opry stage, Esten reacted to Panettiere’s death in an Instagram tribute shared on Monday, August 17, one day after she died. The actor wrote that he and his wife, Patty Hanson, were “stunned and saddened at the loss of our dear and beautiful friend.”
Esten also reflected on the friendship that grew from their time working together. He said the pair became “fast friends” and spent years working hard on their complicated characters while still finding plenty of reasons to laugh.
But news of Panettiere’s death came with a painful coincidence. Esten and Hanson had been in Greenville, South Carolina, for one of his shows on Friday, August 14. More specifically, Esten said they were at Judson Mills.
According to the actor, he later learned through news reports that Panettiere had apparently arrived at the same complex the following day. By then, Esten’s tour bus had already carried him to Wilmington for his next performance. He had no idea how close their paths had come to crossing.
Charles Esten Wishes He Had Seen Panettiere One Last Time
Learning that he had narrowly missed Panettiere left Esten thinking about the reunion that never happened. “Such a strange coincidence,” he wrote of discovering that they had been at Judson Mills on consecutive days.
Rather than dwelling on the circumstances, Esten imagined what might have happened had their timing been different. “I just wish that it had actually put us there together at the same time,” he wrote.
The actor said he wished he and his wife could have unexpectedly run into Panettiere and shared one more ordinary moment with their longtime friend. “And that we somehow could have bumped into her,” Esten continued. “And got to hug her, and laugh in amazement with her.”
Instead, Esten and Hanson had already left Greenville by the time Panettiere arrived. He said they traveled overnight to Wilmington and were setting up for his next tour stop, “oblivious to all that was to come.”