As country singer Deacon Claybourne, Esten starred on all six seasons of the ABC drama and recorded a duet with Panettiere.

Charles Esten pays tribute to Nashville costar Hayden Panettiere: ‘What a great gift it was to just be her friend’

As country singer Deacon Claybourne, Esten starred on all six seasons of the ABC drama and recorded a duet with Panettiere.

By Kathleen Perricone

August 17, 2026 10:50 p.m. ET

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‘Nashville’ costars Charles Esten and Hayden Panettiere. Credit:

Charles Esten/Instagram

- Hayden Panettiere is being remembered by her *Nashville* costar Charles Esten.

- He recalled meeting her after his audition: “Eyes twinkling, she clapped her hands and said, ‘That was so good!!’”

- After six seasons together on the ABC drama, Esten said, “What a great gift it was to act with her, sing with her, and to just be her friend.”**

Hayden Panettiere is being remembered by another *Nashville* costar, following Connie Britton expressing her “heartbreak” over the 36-year-old actress’ tragic death.

Charles Esten, who played country singer Deacon Claybourne, shared a series of photos on Instagram from their six seasons together on the ABC drama, illustrating the memories of his “dear and beautiful friend Hayden.”

Charles Esten and Hayden Panettiere on ‘Nashville’.

ABC/Katherine Bomboy-Thornton

“I will never forget the first time I met her,” the actor-singer began his tribute. He had just wrapped his *Nashville* audition, which included performing two songs, and walked off of the Hollywood sound stage “hoping I’d done well.” As he opened the door to leave, it “bumped into somebody. Kinda hard.”

To his surprise, it was Hayden “in full Juliette Barnes mode” eavesdropping on his audition.

“Instead of looking even a little bit caught, her face instantly bloomed into the most beautiful smile,” Esten recalled. “Eyes twinkling, she clapped her hands and said, ‘That was so good!!’”

As a big fan of her previous series, *Heroes*, “I can promise you that in that moment, there was nothing in the world I needed to hear more than that,” he explained. “I told her… I was already a big fan of hers, and that I was grateful for the very kind words. It was her turn to go in, so as I went to leave, I said a jokingly cocky, ‘See you on the set!’”

They both aced their auditions (for Esten, it required “many,” he joked), and the day he arrived in Nashville ready to start shooting, Panettiere reminded her new costar of his prophetic words.

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“She walked right up to me, pointed in my face, and with that magical grin said, ‘See you on the set,’” he recalled.

“From there, we became fast friends, working very hard to play those 2 troubled Nashvillians, but always having fun and laughing a whole lot along the way,” Esten continued. “She was, of course, extraordinarily talented, infusing her larger-than-life character with all the heart, charisma, humor, whip-smart intelligence, and flat-out magic that were, alongside whatever troubles and pain she carried, a part of her own personal palette.”

Charles Esten and Hayden Panettiere on ‘Nashville’ in 2012.

ABC/ROYCE DEGRIE

Panettiere, a talented singer in her own right, recorded a duet with Esten, “Undermine,” that appeared on the soundtrack of *Nashville*’s first season.

“What a great gift it was to act with her, sing with her, and to just be her friend,” he said. “She was always extremely kind to my family, especially my wife, Patty, who I’m certain she liked even more than me. Together, we are heartbroken that she is gone, and praying for her family, and for all those who, like us, will miss and mourn her so dearly.”

Hayden Panettiere and Charles Esten on ‘Nashville’ set.

Charles Esten/Instagram

On Sunday, first responders found Panettiere “unresponsive” and “in cardiac arrest” at a residence in Greenville, S.C., where the actress was staying with her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.

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According to the city’s coroner Mike Ellis, “EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased” 41 minutes later.

Ellis’ statement adds that “an autopsy was completed [on Monday],” and that there were “no signs of trauma” that “would have contributed to the death,” per the report. “The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies. This investigation remains active and ongoing.”

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