SCREAM VI Star Hayden Panettiere Worried She Couldn’t Act After Her Acting Hiatus

It was really cool to see Hayden Panettiere reprise his role as Kirby in Scream VI after taking a four-year hiatus from acting. While she was stabbed Scream VIshe didn’t die and lived to fight Ghostface another day!

The actress took time off to work on herself. Before Scream VIit was his last film appearance Custody in 2016, and his last television appearance was in Nashville in 2018. Since it had been so long since she had acted, she was worried that she could not act anymore, so she was a little nervous during filming Scream VI. She explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:

“It was daunting, honestly. I was a little worried. I was worried I couldn’t act anymore. I mean, I took four years off. I had to remind myself what I could do and make sure I could still do it. But I knew that I made the right decision. This was the best, best first film I could have dreamed of. It was like coming home. I was 21 when I made Scream 4, and Wes Craven, the entire cast, the entire crew, it was such a family. I was hoping to find the same thing here, and I sure did. Matt [Bettinelli-Olpin] and Tyler [Gillett] and all the cast. I mean, just amazing, just amazing people.”

Panettiere also spoke about his experience making the fourth film saying:

“It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life and in my career. Wes has been so warm and kind and thoughtful and like a father. He takes his time teaching you how to make a horror movie, how to work with the timing, the anticipation. He says, ‘It might feel long, it might feel like it’s taking too long, but the timing has to be perfect. He taught me the art of doing it. He was a wonderful human being.’

Panettiere has always had a natural talent for acting. I remember seeing her in her first film role in Remember the titans and how he stole every scene he was in. I knew she would be a successful actress, and she’s had an amazing career!

Now that she’s back in action and acting again, I can’t wait to see what other projects she ends up landing in the future.

When discussing how she managed to get the role in Scream VIhe explained that he contacted the directors Tyler Gillette AND Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. They previously said they considered having Panettiere make a cameo in the fifth film, but Panettiere is the one who made Kirby’s return possible. He said in another interview with Good Morning America:

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I had to take those four years off, and thank God I did. I had to work on myself: my mental health, my physical health, my spiritual health. And then when [‘Scream’] it popped up and I came around, I was like, ‘I want to be a part of it again because I was hoping Kirby was still alive. I wanted her back alive and called them.”

Were you happy to see Panettiere come back for Scream VI?