The last thing Hayden Panettiere ever wanted while working on Nashville with Connie Britton was for life to imitate art!
In her new memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, the 36-year-old actress opened up about her time on the hit show. Fans know she played young rising country star Juliette Barnes, who had a heated rivalry with country music icon Rayna James, played by Connie. And although they played enemies on-screen, Hayden did not want that dynamic to bleed into real life once the camera went down! She wrote in the book:
“My character wasn’t intended to be the show’s star — not even close. That honor went to Connie, whose Rayna Jaymes was in the twilight of her career, facing a dramatic turning point thanks to yours truly.”
Related: Hayden Reveals Identity Of Pal Who Put Her In Bed With ‘Very Famous’ Man!
However, Hayden quickly became popular and rose in the ranks of the cast, which made her very nervous:
“Unfortunately, after the pilot, it was clear that my billing had gone way up. I went from maybe number five in terms of importance to nipping at Connie’s heels. I was deeply uncomfortable with this development.”
Oof! The Bring It On: All or Nothing star said she never wanted Connie to feel like she was trying to take the spotlight away from her:
“I was twenty-three years old, and Connie was in her forties with three Emmy nominations under her belt. She was also a new mom. This should have been her time to shine, and while it was in many respects, I was terrified of making Connie worry that I—not my character—was trying to compete with her.”
So, Hayden did everything she could on-set to show Connie that she wasn’t undermining her! She recalled:
“We were directed to saunter toward the mic stand and—at the same time—reach to grab it. This would insinuate our characters’ rivalry. I always made sure to grab the mic under Connie’s hand, showing her I came in peace and with respect. I don’t know if she noticed, but I did; I was not going to step on the toes of Rayna Jaymes or Connie Britton.”
And honestly? The Nashville writers already pulled way too much inspo from Hayden’s real life for her character’s storyline, so the last thing she needed was for an IRL feud with her co-star!
What are your reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Image via Nashville/Lionsgate Television]
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