Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise, died on August 16, 2026, at the age of 36. Sleepwalker, which was filmed in 2025, became her final film role.

Chatwin, who previously worked with Panettiere on Heroes, reunited with her years later while filming Sleepwalker.

He said the experience allowed him to reconnect with the actress and see what she was going through at that stage of her life.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Chatwin described Panettiere as a warm and kind person with “one of the biggest hearts” he had encountered.

However, he said he could also see that she was struggling and felt lonely outside the filming environment.

Chatwin reflected on the nature of acting, explaining that performers can spend hours surrounded by colleagues on set before returning home alone.

“At the end of the day, you go home from a warm fun movie set where everyone's telling you you're great and you’re alone in your house,” he said.

He said he enjoyed talking with Panettiere and valued the opportunity to reconnect with her while working on the film.

Sleepwalker is a psychological thriller in which Panettiere plays a woman dealing with trauma following the loss of her daughter. The film also stars Chatwin and other actors.

Panettiere had previously spoken openly about some of the challenges she faced throughout her life, including addiction and postpartum depression. She also addressed her experiences in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

Chatwin’s recollections provide a personal perspective on the actress during the final stage of her career, highlighting not only the difficulties she faced but also the kindness and warmth he remembered.

Panettiere began acting as a child and went on to build a successful career in television and film, becoming widely recognized for her roles in Heroes and Nashville.

Her final performance in Sleepwalker now stands as the last chapter of a career that spanned decades.