For many of the actors who worked beside Hayden Panettiere, the memories that surfaced after her death were not centered on premieres, awards or red carpets.

They remembered the young actress singing show tunes before an audition. They remembered her making nervous costars laugh, learning crew members’ names, looking out for background actors and offering encouragement at exactly the right moment.

After news broke on Aug. 16 that Panettiere had died at age 36, those personal memories poured out across Hollywood, revealing how deeply the Heroes and Nashville star had affected the people around her.

Her father, Skip Panettiere, described his daughter as an extraordinary source of light whose energy brought happiness not only to those who knew her personally but also to the millions who had watched her throughout her career.

Among the most detailed remembrances came from Charles Esten, who worked closely with Panettiere on Nashville.

Esten recalled an encounter that happened before they had even officially become costars. After completing an audition, he opened a door and discovered Panettiere standing on the other side. She had apparently been listening to his performance.

Instead of appearing embarrassed at being caught, Panettiere enthusiastically told him he had done well. Esten jokingly answered that he would see her on the set.

After he ultimately landed the role, Panettiere remembered the exchange. When they met again during production, she approached him and threw the same words back at him: “See you on the set!”

That moment became the beginning of a friendship.

Esten remembered the two working hard to portray their troubled Nashville characters while spending plenty of time laughing away from the drama. He praised the intelligence, humor, charisma and emotional depth Panettiere brought to Juliette Barnes, while also remembering how warmly she treated his wife, Patty Hanson, and the rest of his family.

Derek Hough, another Nashville colleague, also said he was heartbroken. Although their time together had been relatively brief, Hough remembered Panettiere as sweet and kind and said he had long admired both her work and the happiness she brought audiences.

The grief extended to another major chapter of Panettiere’s career: the Scream franchise.

Melissa Barrera, who appeared with her in Scream VI, said she remained stunned by the loss. Barrera had first known Panettiere as someone she watched and admired from afar before eventually having the opportunity to work alongside her.

What stayed with Barrera was more than Panettiere’s screen presence. She remembered her strength, honesty and willingness to support another person when support was needed most. Barrera called her an icon and expressed her love for Panettiere’s daughter, mother and other loved ones.

Neve Campbell remembered Panettiere as kind, funny and magnetic on the set of Scream 4, noting the remarkable amount of work she had accomplished during such a short life.

David Arquette posted a simple declaration of love, while Emma Roberts remembered her as a beloved friend who would be deeply missed. Scream writer Kevin Williamson shared an image of Panettiere as her character from Scream 4, accompanied by hearts.

Her former Heroes colleagues offered some of the clearest glimpses into just how experienced Panettiere had already become at a remarkably young age.

Sendhil Ramamurthy recalled arriving for his final Heroes screen test overwhelmed with nerves. Panettiere, by contrast, was in the waiting room confidently singing show tunes.

Ramamurthy was nearly twice her age, he recalled, yet Panettiere already had vastly more professional experience. She had been working for years and carried herself like a veteran.

But professionalism was only part of what he remembered.

According to Ramamurthy, Panettiere knew crew members by name, stood up for background performers when she believed they were being treated poorly and gave generously of her time. He also recalled a trip to Las Vegas when he was feeling ill and Panettiere made sure he stayed hydrated.

For him, those small moments captured the person behind the celebrity: funny, joyful, outspoken, caring and deeply professional.

Other Heroes cast members shared similarly emotional messages. David Anders called her one of the brightest people he had known. Dania Ramirez wrote about the pain of losing someone whose energy she felt would continue beyond death. James Kyson remembered meeting Panettiere when she was only 16 and already recognizing both her experience and her unusually strong spirit.

Kyson also recalled her commitment to animal rights, fairness and kindness, describing her as someone willing to defend people and causes she cared about.

Viola Davis, who worked with Panettiere on the drama Custody, focused on the potential she believed was still unfolding.

Davis remembered an exceptionally gifted performer with a deep heart and described seeing Panettiere rebuilding herself through difficult experiences. What made the loss especially painful, Davis suggested, was wondering who Panettiere might still have become if she had been given more time.

She ended her tribute by sending prayers to Panettiere’s family and daughter.

Bethany Joy Lenz’s memories stretched back even further.

Lenz recalled knowing Panettiere when she was still a child running through studio hallways between rehearsals. Even then, she remembered an unusually intelligent young performer whose presence stood apart.

Years later, they continued crossing paths, and Lenz said seeing Panettiere remained a source of joy. Her tribute after Panettiere’s death was filled with disbelief, particularly because she felt things in her friend’s life had appeared to be changing.

At just 36, Lenz wrote, there seemed to be far too much life still ahead of her.

Kelly Osbourne offered another perspective shaped by a shared experience few people could fully understand: growing up in public.

Osbourne said the two understood how isolating life in the spotlight could become, even while surrounded by people. She remembered Panettiere as someone deeply important to her and wrote that she would never forget her friend.

Tributes also came from Kim Cattrall, Jeremy Renner, Ashlee Simpson, Mario Lopez, JoJo, Rosie O’Donnell, Matt Lanter, Peter Facinelli and others who had encountered Panettiere at different stages of her life and career.

Brandon Auman, who directed her final film, Sleepwalker, remembered the stories Panettiere shared about growing up in the entertainment industry and said working with her had taught him a great deal. Kurt Oberhaus, who appeared alongside her in the 2024 thriller Amber Alert, expressed gratitude that he had been able to work with her.

Some of the rawest grief appeared beneath the final photograph Panettiere posted to Instagram on July 27, showing her with photographer Randall Slavin.

Selma Blair left emotional messages beneath the image, struggling to accept that her friend was gone.

In the days after Panettiere’s death, the sheer range of people remembering her told its own story. Some had known her since childhood. Others met her during Heroes, Nashville, Scream or later projects. Some worked with her only briefly.

Yet their recollections repeatedly returned to similar qualities: talent, humor, generosity, toughness and kindness.

Panettiere spent much of her life in front of cameras, but the tributes left behind after her death focused just as strongly on what happened when the cameras were not rolling — the encouragement before an audition, the laughter between scenes, the concern for a sick colleague and the instinct to stand up for someone else.

At 36, her life and career ended far earlier than the people mourning her believed they should have.

But in their memories, Hayden Panettiere was more than the characters audiences knew. She was the friend, colleague and former child star whose presence remained vivid enough that, even in grief, those who knew her could still picture her smiling, laughing and lighting up a room.