Hayden Panettiere seemed “struggling” and “very lonely” on the set of the thriller Sleepwalker late last year, her co-star Justin Chatwin said Monday after news of her tragic death.
Chatwin, 43, told People about his experiences working on the film with Panettiere, who died at age 36 after an apparent overdose Sunday.
According to a logline for Sleepwalker, Panettiere played the role of “a grieving mother… haunted by the tragic loss of her daughter in a car accident that left her abusive husband in a coma.”
Chatwin said the dramatic subject matter may have played a role in Panettiere’s temperament during the production of the film, which was released in January.
“We hit it off and it was a great shoot, but it was about domestic violence and it was a topic that maybe hit close to home because she did mention it,” Chatwin said. “She told me about a lot of things.”
He added: ‘I could tell she was having a hard time, and I thought, ‘I don’t think it’s this movie.’ There’s a handful of women I’ve worked with that I really liked, and I really enjoyed working with her, but I also know that she was very lonely.”
Hayden Panettiere seemed “struggling” and “very lonely” on the set of the thriller Sleepwalker late last year, her co-star Justin Chatwin said Monday after news of her tragic death. Pictured in 2022 in LA
The Daily Mail has contacted Chatwin representatives for further comment on the story.
Chatwin said he could see differences in Panettiere during the making of the film, as he had previously worked with her on the show Heroes.
“Hayden seemed different when I met her this time than when I met her in the early years,” Chatwin said. “I’ve been sober for 15 years, so I know this world of addiction, and Hollywood – it takes that, and it lasts from childhood.”
Panettiere granted her former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko full custody of their daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, 11, in 2018 as she dealt with issues including postpartum depression and substance abuse.
Chatwin said in the interview that Panettiere told him about her “struggles she’s had with trauma” and her time in rehab while they were making the film.
He praised Panettiere as a “sweet” person who “had a beautiful heart,” noting that she remained kind to others despite her personal turmoil.
“I’m sure everyone else will say, ‘Oh, she’s great. She’s such a sweet person on set,’ because she was,” he said. “But we’re trained to be actors, so we act on set, you know?”
He continued, “We were trained to get started, and I really enjoyed spending time with her because she expressed that, and she was authentic with me about her life and she opened up about her struggles with addiction.
Chatwin, 43, said in the interview that Panettiere told him about her “struggles she’s had with trauma” and her time in rehab while they were making the film.
Chatwin praised Panettiere as a “sweet” person who “had a beautiful heart,” noting that she remained kind to others despite her personal turmoil. Pictured in 2023 in NYC
According to a logline for Sleepwalker, Panettiere played the role of “a grieving mother… haunted by the tragic loss of her daughter in a car accident that left her abusive husband in a coma.”
‘And who knows where it comes from? Is it from Hollywood? Does it come from home? And often it is both.’
Chatwin said he felt sadness and anger after Panettiere’s death, adding, “I want to point the finger for this, and it keeps happening.”
‘She was lovely and super open and we had a great time together and I’m just sad that another one has been removed. It’s not the first, you know, and it’s annual, dude, and it’s like no one really takes notice of it.”
Sleepwalker director-writer Brandon Auman told the outlet in a statement that he was “completely devastated” after news of Panettiere’s death, calling her “a clear, open, numinous spirit.”
Auman said he kept “thinking back to our time on set and how much she taught me,” praising the actress for her openness and honesty “and how it related to her character.”
He added: “I keep those conversations private, but I was struck by how complex and deeply introspective she was. She lived a dozen lives in one short, beautiful life. I will miss her forever.’
