Joseph Mazzello has broken his silence about a tough-love moment with Hayden Panettiere that changed his outlook during a career low point.
Mazzello, 41, posted a lengthy tribute to Panettiere, 36, on Instagram Monday, two days after her sudden death in South Carolina. The two former child stars had worked together on the 2004 Garry Marshall comedy-drama “Raising Helen,” with Panettiere playing Audrey Davis and Mazzello cast as her prom date, Peter.
The “Jurassic Park” alum revealed that the role had already been diminished before he arrived on set. “The role got even smaller cause my main scene was cut out of the script for being too similar to another comedy at the time, but I still did it even though I felt kind of down about myself for it,” he wrote in the Instagram post, which included a photo of him and Panettiere together on set.
During his first day of filming, Mazzello found himself sitting alone at lunch when Panettiere approached him with unexpected bluntness. “What the f–k are you doing here?” She exclaimed, leaving him shocked and speechless.
But Panettiere was not finished. “‘You’re so talented and do so much amazing work, why are you doing this bit part in this movie?'” she continued, according to Mazzello’s account.
The “little exchange” had an outsized impact. “Someone who was clearly a rising star knew me, noticed, and gave me a boost of self-confidence in a moment I was severely lacking it,” Mazzello wrote. He added that the interaction made him feel “so much better” about his life and career.
Despite the meaningful connection, Mazzello noted that he and Panettiere “didn’t stay in touch much.” Still, he “always was happy every time [he] saw her succeed.”
He closed his tribute by turning her own words back in her direction. “SHE was so talented. SHE did such amazing work. I’m so sad we won’t see more of it. My heart goes out to Hayden and her family 💔,” he concluded.
In the viral moment that preceded this wave of tributes, Panettiere’s death was confirmed by her father on Sunday. Officers responded to a call regarding a reported cardiac arrest after an apparent overdose at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment around 1:51 p.m. Local time, according to authorities. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office attempted resuscitation but was unsuccessful, and she was declared dead at 2:32 p.m. The coroner reported no signs of foul play or trauma, though a cause of death has not yet been released.
Panettiere had been open about her struggles with postpartum depression and addiction throughout her career. Justin Chatwin, her co-star in the final film “Sleepwalker,” said on Monday that she had been “lonely” and “struggling” on that set. “She was authentic with me about her life and she opened up about her struggles with addiction,” he said. “And who knows where it comes from? Does it come from Hollywood? Does it come from home? And a lot of times, it’s both.”
Mazzello’s career began with his iconic role as Tim Murphy in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster “Jurassic Park.” He later transitioned to adult roles with parts in “The Social Network” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” in which he portrayed Queen bassist John Deacon.