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Fans and celebrities alike continue to mourn Hayden Panettiere, who died at 36 this past weekend. Many of the tributes in Panettiere’s honor have come from a wide array of her former co-stars from both movies and TV shows. One of the late actress’ earliest films is the beloved 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans, in which she plays the young, football-loving Sheryl Yates. Another star from that film, Ethan Suplee, recently paid tribute to Panettiere and, in the process, he revealed an instance in which he did heroin.
In Titans (one of several Black-led films that needs to be seen), Suplee plays lovable offensive lineman Louie Lastik. The Boaz Yakin-directed biopic arguably now serves as a particularly memorable title within Suplee’s filmography. Upon learning of Panettiere’s death, Suplee took to his substack to honor his former colleague. The Boy Meets World alum specifically recalled a warm moment he shared with Panettiere when they were together at the film’s premiere over 25 years ago:
September 23, 2000, was the night of the Remember the Titans premiere at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. On the red carpet, Hayden Panettiere, the ten-year-old girl from the movie, ran up to me, leapt into my arms, and gave me a big hug. Holding her I was lighter, some of her energy and innocence washed over me, and for a moment my smile was genuine.
Suplee paints a sweet picture, which suggests that his then-young co-star’s upbeat aura briefly rubbed off on him. What followed, unfortunately, was a much darker situation for the eventual Wolf of Wall Street co-star. Suplee went on to admit that during the event, he eventually “smoked heroin” in the bathroom. He also described another low point of the night, which involved him meeting the real Lastik:
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I went from the press line to the bathroom and smoked heroin. I was late for the cast meetup with our real-life counterparts. When I finally got there and met the real Louis Lastik, he wasn’t fat. Not like I was. I imagined his disappointment at seeing who they’d gotten to play him. So I went back to the bathroom and smoked heroin. Then we were all supposed to take laps around the stadium in golf carts with the guys we played. When I sat on our cart, it broke, I crushed one of the rear wheels. The other carts rolled off, and while they wrangled a new one for Louis and me, the cavalcade disappeared. We made a much slower lap, way off the back.
For years now, Ethan Suplee has been candid about his struggles with drug abuse and weight issues, and this anecdote appears to be an extension of that. Suplee has become healthier in recent years, though, as he’s lost hundreds of pounds and avoided food-related temptations. However, around the time Titans was released, the star was still struggling and, as he further explained, another encounter with Panettiere at the premiere helped lift his spirits for a moment:
While the movie played, I sat in the bathroom, cried, and smoked heroin. I saw Hayden one last time, as we made our way out of the stadium. Once again, she leapt into my arms, and once again I felt some relief.
The death of Panettiere – who was found unresponsive in a South Carolina residence days ago – has evidently been difficult for many to process, based on many of the messages that have been shared on social media. Nevertheless, many are dwelling on the positive memories they have of her. Actors like Jenna Ortega, Viola Davis and Masi Oka have reached out as has Ice Princess director Tim Fywell and many more.
It’s been bittersweet to see Hayden Panettiere posthumously receive her flowers, but it’s lovely to see the respect being shown to her nonetheless. What’s more is that Panettiere’s memory won’t just live on through stories shared by Ethan Suplee and others. Her vast body of work, including Remember the Titans, can also be enjoyed for years to come.
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