Hayden Panettiere and Connie Britton had a legendary stint together on Nashville despite their characters getting off to a bad start in the pilot episode. This built up a dynamic that lasted throughout the subsequent seasons and gave the show its appeal. Panettiere recently discussed the beginning of the series and how she “kept apologizing” to Britton after their first encounter.
Why Hayden Panettiere repeatedly apologized to Connie Britton after their first Nashville scene
Hayden Panettiere, who is much younger than Connie Britton, recalled her first encounter on the set of Nashville with Britton in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I remember the first scene that I ever did with her. It was in [Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium], the backstage of the Ryman, and Rayna comes in and says something nice to me, and I am just so passive-aggressive to her.”
She recalled how she “kept apologizing” after this rather friction-filled encounter. “[I] kept apologizing to her, going, ‘I am so sorry!’ Because that was our first experience together, and I didn’t want to step on toes. Sometimes it gets real, very real, you know?’ Panettiere told the outlet.
Throughout the show, there was massive tension between the established country musician Rayna, played by Britton, and Panettiere’s up-and-coming pop star Juliette. The show lasted six seasons and garnered critical acclaim. It currently has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“It was difficult to play that sometimes, that competitiveness, where we were in opposition and against each other,” Panettiere said about their dynamic, “And it’s not what we thought it was going to be, so it was very difficult to step in.”
However, she credited Britton for being supportive. “Connie is just a class act. She is so smart and so wise, and just being able to be on screen with her, I was honored. I think we kept each other grounded throughout the whole thing.”
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on ComingSoon.
