Hayden Panettiere pulled back the curtain on her \u201cdeeply uncomfortable\u201d dynamic with Connie Britton on the \u201cNashville\u201d set.<\/p>\n
In her new \u201cThis Is Me: A Reckoning\u201d memoir<\/a>, Panettiere noted that her \u201ccharacter wasn\u2019t intended to be the show\u2019s star \u2014 not even close.\u201d<\/p>\n The 36-year-old added, \u201cThat honor went to Connie, whose Rayna Jaymes was in the twilight of her career, facing a dramatic turning point thanks to yours truly.\u201d<\/p>\n Hayden Panettiere described the \u201cuncomfortable\u201d on-set dynamic with \u201cNashville\u201d co-star Connie Britton. ABC<\/p>\n The 36-year-old reflected on filming the drama in her new \u201cThis Is Me: A Reckoning\u201d memoir. Grand Central Publishing<\/p>\n Panettiere played country star Juliette Barnes on the drama series, which ran from 2012 to 2018, while Britton, 59, played rival singer James.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, after the pilot, it was clear that my billing had gone way up,\u201d the \u201cHeroes\u201d alum recalled. \u201cI went from maybe number five in terms of importance to nipping at Connie\u2019s heels. <\/p>\n She recalled being \u201cdeeply uncomfortable with this development.\u201d<\/p>\n The actress (pictured above on Tuesday) said her \u201ccharacter wasn\u2019t intended to be the show\u2019s star \u2014 not even close.\u201d Janet Mayer\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n While \u201cthat honor went to Connie,\u201d Panettiere\u2019s \u201cbilling [went] way up\u201d after the pilot in 2012. ABC<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Britton, her former co-star explained, was \u201cin her 40s with three Emmy nominations under her belt\u201d and \u201cwas also a new mom.\u201d<\/p>\n Panettiere wrote, \u201cI was 23 years old. \u2026 This should have been her time to shine, and while it was in many respects, I was terrified of making Connie worry that I \u2014 not my character \u2014 was trying to compete with her.\u201d<\/p>\n She went on to describe once attempting to make it clear to Britton she had no plans to \u201cstep on her toes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI went from maybe number five in terms of importance to nipping at Connie\u2019s heels,\u201d the \u201cHeroes\u201d alum (pictured above in July 2012) wrote. Getty Images<\/p>\n She noted that Britton (pictured above in September 2012) had \u201cthree Emmy nominations under her belt\u201d at that point. Getty Images<\/p>\n The former soap star remembered, \u201cWe were directed to saunter toward the mic stand and\u2014at the same time\u2014reach to grab it. This would insinuate our characters\u2019 rivalry.<\/p>\n \u201cI always made sure to grab the mic under Connie\u2019s hand, showing her I came in peace and with respect. I don\u2019t know if she noticed, but I did.\u201d<\/p>\n Britton\u2019s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n Panettiere\u2019s memoir, which also name-dropped ex-boyfriend Milo Ventimiglia<\/a> and more A-listers, hit shelves nearly one year after she spoke to Entertainment Weekly<\/a> about working with Britton.<\/p>\n \u201cThis should have been her time to shine,\u201d Panettiere (pictured above in March 2013) told readers. WireImage<\/p>\n She opened up about working with Britton in 2025, calling her co-star \u201camazing\u201d and \u201cso supportive\u201d at the time. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images<\/p>\n