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Justin Chatwin is remembering Hayden Panettiere and the candid conversations they shared while filming her final movie, Sleepwalker.

In a new interview published Monday (August 17), one day after the actress died at age 36, Justin reflected on reconnecting with Hayden years after they initially crossed paths during her run on Heroes.

The actors filmed Sleepwalker in winter 2025 before the psychological thriller was released on January 9, 2026. Justin told People that Hayden seemed different from the person he had met earlier in her career.

“I could tell she was struggling,” he said, explaining that she spoke openly with him about difficult experiences in her life. Justin was equally clear that they connected on set and that he valued the trust she placed in him.

“She had a beautiful heart,” he added. Justin said Hayden moved beyond the professional barriers performers often maintain while working and was “authentic with me about her life.”

He continued, “She opened up about her struggles with addiction. And who knows where it comes from? Does it come from Hollywood? Does it come from home? And a lot of times, it’s both.”

Hayden had previously spoken publicly about her experiences with addiction and trauma, including in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. Justin, who shared that he has been sober for 15 years, drew on his own familiarity with addiction while discussing what he observed.

Sleepwalker stars Hayden as Sarah, a grieving mother whose increasingly intense sleepwalking episodes blur the boundary between reality and nightmares. Beverly D’Angelo and Mischa Barton also appear in the movie.

Writer-director Brandon Auman also paid tribute in a statement to People, saying he was “completely gutted” by her passing. He remembered the Heroes star as open and deeply thoughtful while emphasizing that the personal conversations they shared would remain private.

Sleepwalker is currently available to rent or purchase through Apple TV, Prime Video and Fandango at Home.

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