Is Hayden Panettiere’s Nashville Character Based on Taylor Swift?
As Juliette Barnes in ABC’s Nashville, Hayden Panettiere may remind viewers of one young country sensation in particular: Taylor Swift. But the actress insists that she’s not channeling a malevolent version of the “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” singer.
“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,” said Hayden at the Television Critics Association Press Tour. “She’s much nicer than my character.”
Coincidentally, the starlets happen to be neighbors! Hayden even had a heart-to-heart with the country songstress to make sure there weren’t any misunderstandings about the Nashville character.
Taylor told Zap2it, “[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.’”
Instead, Hayden took her inspiration from American Idol winner Carrie Underwood — at least, as far as her dance moves are concerned. "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.
As for whether Hayden’s basing Juliette’s bitchiness on anyone famous, that’s a mystery that may never be solved.
Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Zap2it, USA Today
