'Heroes' cast reunites to 'celebrate the life' of Hayden Panettiere days after her death at 36

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hayden Panettiere’s death has sent shockwaves across the world. She was only 36 years old, deeply loved by many and cherished by all. Tributes have continued to pour in, and the outpouring of love is still ongoing. Amid this, Panettiere’s 'Heroes' cast members reunited to honor their co-star.

Jimmy Jean-Louis shared photos and selfies from the cast reunion, along with an emotional tribute to Panettiere. The reunion sheds light on the close bond she shared with her co-stars. The cast reunited 10 days after Panettiere’s death on August 16.

'Heroes' cast gathers to celebrate Hayden Panettiere’s life

On Tuesday, August 25, the cast of the hit NBC series shared pictures from their reunion. Jean-Louis, who played René, aka the Haitian, in the series, shared photos of himself and his castmates. He wrote that the “reunion to celebrate the life of Hayden was deeply emotional.”

“There was sadness in our hearts, but also so much love, gratitude, and warmth as we remembered the beautiful moments shared and the lasting impact of a life that touched so many,” Jean-Louis, 58, captioned the post. “Au revoir Hayden.”

The reunion featured several of Panettiere’s co-stars who shared the screen with her on the four-season superhero series from 2006 to 2010. Masi Oka, Santiago Cabrera, Greg Grunberg, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Jack Coleman and Zachary Quinto were among those present for the gathering.

Writer and producer Bryan Fuller also shared photos from the reunion and called Panettiere “No. 1 on the call sheet and No. 1 in our hearts and memories.” “We shared stories of Hayden’s light that shined on all of our lives,” he wrote. “Rest in peace, Hayden.”

Masi Oka's touching tribute to Hayden Panettiere

Panettiere’s death was confirmed by her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere. A spokesperson for the Greenville Police Department said she was officially pronounced dead at around 2.32 pm on August 16 after she was found unresponsive in cardiac arrest at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina.

Since her death, her 'Heroes' and 'Nashville' co-stars have paid tribute to her. Oka, who played Hiro Nakamura on 'Heroes', shared that he was “absolutely heartbroken.” “I had the privilege of working closely with her,” he added.

“And I’ll always remember her for her beautiful spirit, immense talent, and the joyful energy she brought to everything she did and the people around her. She was way wiser beyond her years and now gone too soon,” he continued.

“My heart goes out to her family and everyone who loved her. Rest in peace, Hayden,” Oka concluded.

Series creator Tim Kring wrote an essay for Variety just two days after her death. He called her “a delight to work with, professional, joyful and willing to go out on a limb and experiment with a scene.”