Sendhil Ramamurthy reveals how Hayden Panettiere stood up for 'Heroes' crew

Sendhil Ramamurthy is remembering his late Heroes costar Hayden Panettiere, praising the actress for her kindness and generosity toward fellow cast and crew members.

Panettiere died at the age of 36 on Aug. 16 after she was found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. Her death was confirmed by a representative on behalf of her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere.

According to Ramamurthy, Panettiere was already highly experienced despite her young age and often looked out for people working around her.

“She stuck up for background actors when they were mistreated,” Ramamurthy wrote, also recalling that she knew crew members by name and was generous with her time.

The actor also shared a lighter memory from the Heroes set involving Panettiere’s required school lessons between filming. He remembered spending time with Adrian Pasdar and attempting to come up with excuses to get her out of class.

Ramamurthy said he would remember Panettiere as a “kind, joyful” and professional person, adding that she had also encouraged him to stay hydrated when he was unwell during a Heroes event.

Panettiere was best known for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet on Heroes, a role that helped make her a household name.

Other members of the Heroes team have also paid tribute to the actress. Series writer Bryan Fuller described Panettiere as an inspiration and praised her impact on Claire’s storyline.

The circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s death remain under investigation. The Greenville coroner said resuscitation efforts by emergency responders were unsuccessful.