Denying that her alter ego on the upcoming musical drama is based on the 'Mean' singer, the former 'Heroes' thesp claims, 'I think besides being around the same age and blond...they are different.'
- Jul 28, 2012
AceShowbiz - Though her character on "Nashville" has the same profession as Taylor Swift, Hayden Panettiere insists her alter ego Juliette Barnes is not based on the real-life country music singer. Speaking to the press at ABC's panel during the Television Critics Association summer tour, the 22-year-old actress said, "I've heard the Taylor Swift thing quite a bit and I think besides being around the same age and blond - not even the height - they are different."
"And I think you guys, once you see her and get to know Juliette, my character, a little bit better, you'll see that. But I really think Taylor would disagree wholeheartedly as well," added the title character depicter in TV movie "Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy". Pointing out another difference between Juliette and Taylor, she stated, "She's [Taylor] much nicer than my character."
Hayden's character is not the only one who has been compared to a real-life artist. Her co-star Connie Britton opened up about her recent encounter with Reba McEntire, "I ran into Reba McEntire on a plane and she said, 'Did you hear you're playing me in your show?' "
The "American Horror Story" alumna went on sharing, "I said I had no idea! For me, it's an amalgam of a lot of different people, but I think it's fun to take from that sort of palette and really let this lone character emerge. I don't have any one person I'm basing the character on."
On the new musical drama that will debut on ABC Wednesday, October 10, Hayden portrays the young and sexy future of country music, Juliette, while Connie takes on the role of Rayna James, a country legend whose popularity is starting to wane lately. When Rayna is forced by her label to be opening for up-and-comer Juliette in a concert tour, a conflict rises.
Connie described their rivalry as something more than a "cat fight." She explained, "I don't think anybody's interested in that. We're much more interested in showing these two people at different places in their lives and what their journeys will be."
