Hayden Panettiere: My ‘Nashville’ Character Not Based On Taylor Swift, More Like Carrie Underwood
Hayden Panettiere plays the young, blonde country music sensation Juliette Barnes on ABC’s Nashville, drawing some immediate comparisons to Taylor Swift.
But instead of portraying a nastier version of the “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Singer,” Hayden Panettiere has another inspiration for her character, wetpaint noted.
“I’ve heard the Taylor Swift thing quite a bit and I think besides being around the same age and blonde — not even the height — they are different,” Hayden Panettiere said at the Television Critics Association Press Tour. “She’s much nicer than my character.”
Panettiere was so concerned that her conniving character could be mistaken for Taylor Swift that she actually sought out the country singer to clarify.
Speaking Zap2it, Taylor Swift said, “[Hayden] pulled me aside and said, ‘I need to talk to you! I need to tell you that my character’s not based on you’ And I said, ‘I know, Hayden. I saw the pilot. It’s amazing.’ ”
Hayden Panettiere said her inspiration for Nashville did come from a young, blonde country singer, just a different one. Her dance moves are based on American Idol winner Carrie Underwood, Hayden said.
“She’s one of those girls that doesn’t do the whole dancing-around-choreography thing but has that stage presence like no other,” Hayden said.
Had she not chosen acting, Hayden Panettiere could have become Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood herself. She recently talked about how she originally planned to be a singer, but stopped to focus on acting instead.
“I quit after about four or five years of recording,” Panettiere told Women’s Health. “I said this is not me. But I said that if I was ever going to do music again, I would do country music, and for this to come along and to get both of the things I love combined in one show, it’s a dream come true. Really. And I don’t mean that in a cliche way.”
Though Hayden Panettiere may not be playing Taylor Swift in Nashville, the actress and the country singer do have another connection. They’re neighbors in real life.
