“RIP HP (Hayden Panettiere), MT (Michelle Trachtenberg), DC (Daveigh Chase) and too many others.
“It’s a strange small club we belong to and you are worthy of support no matter how our industry made us feel.”
Canadian-Kiwi actress Anna Paquin and fellow True Blood actor, now her husband, Stephen Boyer. Photo / File
Former child star Daveigh Chase, famous for her role in The Ring and as the voice of Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, died from Aids in June, aged 35.
In later years, Chase struggled with substance abuse. She was said to have developed sepsis linked to a bout of meningitis and was admitted to hospital for malnutrition before her death.
Hayden Panettiere plays Channing Walsh in the 2005 movie Racing Stripes.
Panettiere was just shy of her first birthday when she made her first onscreen appearance for a Playskool toy commercial. She broke out as a child star in the Disney film Remember the Titans, in 2000, where she played Sheryl Yoast, the football-obsessed daughter of coach Bill Yoast.
She went on to play several roles in shows, including on Ally McBeal, Racing Stripes, Malcolm in the Middle and Bring It On: All or Nothing – all before she turned 18.
‘Let’s have each other’s backs’
Months before her death, the 36-year-old spoke about the challenges of her life in the spotlight and specifically being a child actor.
Anna Paquin accepting the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the Academy Awards in 1994. Photo / Getty Images
Her recently published memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, reportedly shares stories about her battle with mental health and struggles with substance abuse.
She also wrote about the traumatic storylines she played in soap operas and how that led her to link catastrophe with adoration, as she described it.
“Is it any wonder why I’ve faced so many real struggles in my life? I’ve often wondered whether, unintentionally, I’ve brought on my traumas because I’m wired to think they’re good for me,” Panettiere wrote in her book.
Paquin also starred in several films and shows as a child, including in the 1993 film The Piano and Fly Away Home. She went on to star in the blockbuster X-Men movie series and one of her most famous roles as Sookie Stackhouse in TV show True Blood.
At 11 years old, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Piano. She later appeared alongside Panettiere on the 2011 film Scream 4.
Paquin called on fellow actors to “have each other’s backs” and to not be afraid to reach out to her.
“Literally DM (direct message) me. I believe you and I will stand by your side. You aren’t alone.
“Let’s have each other’s backs. It might make public disclosure less terrifying.”
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