The many friends and fans of Hayden Panettiere are still reeling from the loss of the 36-year-old actress just a couple days ago, with several stars from the Scream franchise taking to social media and putting out statements to various outlets in tribute to the fallen star.
Hayden Panettiere of course played Kirby Reed in Wes Craven’s Scream 4 and then later the Radio Silence-directed Scream VI, one of the most beloved characters in the entire saga. Like Randy Meeks before her, Kirby Reed was a diehard horror fan who represented the very fans watching the movies, with fan demand leading to the character’s return to the screen in Scream VI.
Even though it appeared that Kirby had been killed off in Scream 4 back in 2011, fans spent the next decade rallying behind the “Justice for Kirby” campaign that ultimately led the franchise to reveal that she had in fact survived the events of the fourth installment. And that’s a testament to Panettiere’s performance in the film, bringing to the screen a character that in only one movie had become as beloved and memorable as some of the franchise’s top recurring characters.
The tributes that have been pouring in the last couple days include memories from fellow franchise stars including David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Emma Roberts, and Melissa Barrera.
Neve Campbell said in a statement to USA Today, “I found Hayden to be really kind and funny and brought a magnetic energy to set. She was a true talent which shows in the decades she worked in such a short life. Her family and loved ones are in my prayers.”
“Sending my love to Hayden and her family,” David Arquette wrote in an Instagram story. “She was such a brave and brilliant soul.”
Melissa Barrera tells USA Today, “I’m still in shock. Hayden should still be here. I feel so incredibly lucky that I got to grow up watching her and admiring her, and that I got to know her and share the screen with her. She will always be an icon in my book. Her strength and her light, despite everything she went through, were so evident and will always stay with me. I am forever grateful to her because she showed up for me when no one else did. That was just the kind of person she was: A rare, honest, badass who felt so deeply. Such a heart-shattering loss. My condolences and love to her mother, her beautiful daughter, and her loved ones.”
Jenna Ortega also posted to Instagram, “This is such a devastating loss. Rest well.”
Scream 4 co-star Emma Roberts wrote in an Instagram post, “Rest in peace my sweet friend. You are so loved and you will be forever missed.”
Original Scream star Jamie Kennedy tweets, “Such a sad, tragic loss for such a young, talented, beautiful woman. Rest in Peace Hayden. May God protect your soul. ScreamFam 4ever.”
Heather Matarazzo, who appeared in Scream 3 and Scream (2022), remembers: “We first met on the LIRR traveling to NYC for auditions when we were both kids. Every time our paths crossed, my heart always filled up. She was special. She was a Sprite of a being and such a talent. Truly a light….. Love you, Hayden.”
And a Scream 4 background actor named Kathryn Henzler shared a touching memory of her own on Twitter. She recalls, “I want to share something about Hayden Panettiere that will forever stay with me. My twin sister and I were background actors on the set of Scream 4, and were in the scene where Stab-A-Thon takes place in a barn. It was hot, dark, and buggy the whole night we were shooting, yet Hayden was nothing but nice to everyone around her, even chatting with background actors and complimenting their acting choices. Super professional, supremely talented, and just a lovely person to be on set with in the not-so-great conditions. Humble, kind, gone too soon.”
Did you ever meet Hayden Panettiere on a film set or at a convention? Share your memories below.
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