Hayden Panettiere defended “mistreated” background actors on the set of Heroes, according to her former co-star Sendhil Ramamurthy.

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Panettiere died on August 16 at the age of 36. Her death was announced by her father Skip, who described her as “an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her”. As yet no cause of death has been announced, although 911 dispatch audio was published with crew members discussing treating a “possible overdose”.

The actor rose to fame as cheerleader Claire Bennet in TV series Heroes, which ran from 2006-10. Ramamurthy, who played Mohinder Suresh on the show, posted on social media about the first time they met. He recalled being anxious prior to the final screen test which Panettiere also attended.

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“I went straight to the bathroom to compose myself and then went to sign in, expecting to find a bunch of fellow nervous-as-hell actors. Instead I found Hayden belting show tunes in the waiting room,” he recalled. “Not a nerve in sight. I had to leave immediately. I spent the rest of the time in the hallway sweating. Hayden was already a pro. I was nearly twice her age and she had three-times as much experience.”

Of their time together, he wrote: “I learned a lot from her. She stuck up for background actors when they were mistreated, knew every crew member’s name, and was so generous with her time.” The post concluded: “Sending love to her family, friends, and my fellow cast mates, RIP Hayd. You will be missed.”

In May, the star promoted her memoir, in which she came out as bisexual. She said the pressure to be “perfect” had led her to hide that aspect of her life, fearing press scrutiny.