Los Angeles [US], August 20 (ANI): Hayden Panettiere’s former ‘Heroes’ co-star Jack Coleman remembered the late actor in an emotional tribute, recalling their time together on the hit series and the bond they shared off screen.
Coleman, who played Noah Bennet, the father of Panettiere’s character Claire Bennet, shared a series of pictures and behind-the-scenes moments from the show on Instagram. Panettiere died at the age of 36 on August 16, according to PEOPLE.
Recalling the first time he met Panettiere while filming the ‘Heroes’ pilot nearly 20 years ago, Coleman said she immediately made him feel like family.
“I’m heartbroken,” Coleman wrote, adding, “I couldn’t begin to put my thoughts into words until now, and they will be inadequate.”
He remembered how Panettiere introduced herself by shouting “daddy” and hugging him. Coleman said she continued to call him “daddio”, while he called her “Haydini” because of her ability to surprise people.
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Coleman also spoke about Panettiere’s acting talent and recalled one scene where she repeatedly cried at exactly the same moment.
“During an early scene, a tear rolled down her cheek on the same line, take after take,” he recalled. “I marvelled at her technique. ‘It’s not technique,’ she corrected me. ‘I’m not a trained seal. I feel it and the tears just happen to come at that moment.’ She was 16.”
The actor also recalled how Panettiere became widely known after ‘Heroes’ premiered in 2006. He said she reached the No 1 position on IMDb Pro’s STARmeter ranking within a year, while also facing growing attention from the media and paparazzi.
Coleman said Panettiere was often asked questions about whether she would “go off the rails” and said she was followed by photographers when she was still a teenager.
“She was routinely asked obnoxious questions, mostly some version of ‘when are you going to go off the rails?'” he wrote. “Today, we’d recognise those questions for the misogynistic provocations they were.”
Remembering the paparazzi attention around Panettiere, Coleman said photographers would sometimes wait outside her home and follow her movements.
“They were predatory,” Coleman wrote. “No one, especially a teenager, should be targeted that way.”
Coleman also remembered Panettiere for the happiness she brought to the ‘Heroes’ set. He described her as someone who loved to laugh and praised her memory and ability as an actor.
“We laughed a lot,” he wrote, remembering her “shining face” and “megawatt smile.”
As he looked back on their time together, Coleman said he was left with sorrow, regret and anger, but wanted to remember Panettiere for the person she was.
“Today I’m filled with sorrow and regret,” he continued. “And anger. But that’s for another time. Right now I want to remember an extraordinary young woman who was blessed and cursed.”
Coleman also spoke about Panettiere’s sensitive nature and how deeply she felt things, which he said made her a strong actor but also left her vulnerable.
“She was vulnerable,” he added. “She felt everything. It made her a remarkable actor and susceptible to the heartache and thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.”
In his final words, Coleman remembered Panettiere’s kindness, her work for animal welfare and the support she showed others.
“I love you, Hayden,” Coleman continued. “I’ll miss you. I’m so sorry you suffered. I’ll remember how happy you were on set and on the European press tour; how you championed Tess when she was being bullied; your commitment to animal welfare and the courage to put yourself in harm’s way to protect them. I only wish you had been given that same protection.”
“Good night, sweet girl,” Coleman concluded the post. “And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Panettiere played Claire Bennet in ‘Heroes’, which ran from 2006 to 2010. The series followed ordinary people who discovered they had special powers and abilities.
According to the Greenville Police Department, Panettiere died after an apparent overdose at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16. (ANI)
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