Ethan Suplee joins the list of actors paying their respects to the late Hayden Panettiere and opens up in his tribute post about having done heroin during the premiere of the 2000 sports drama.
Having been an actor since childhood, one of Panettiere’s acclaimed roles was in Remember the Titans as Sheryl Yoast. The actor was announced to have died on Sunday, Aug. 16, from an apparent drug overdose after a neighbor found her unresponsive in her home. The Heroes star has spoken openly, and even published a memoir, speaking about her battle with substance abuse and postpartum depression.
As many co-stars pay their respects to the actor, Suplee also posted in remembrance of Panettiere on Substack. Suplee played the role of Louie Lastik in Remember the Titans alongside the actor and spoke about the night of the 2000 premiere at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
“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,” he wrote on his Substack. “Holding her I was lighter, some of her energy and innocence washed over me, and for a moment my smile was genuine.”
He would go on to add that he “went from the press line to the bathroom and smoked heroin.” The actor added that he had been late to the cast meetup with their real-life counterparts and realized that Lastik wasn’t overweight like he was. In that moment, “I imagined his disappointment at seeing who they’d gotten to play him. So I went back to the bathroom and smoked heroin.”
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On Substack, Suplee added that he had felt upset during the premiere as he had broken one of the wheels of the gold cart due to his weight.
“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. I didn’t die of an accidental overdose that night. But I went to bed believing I wouldn’t wake up, and that didn’t seem so bad. Better than whatever a new day offered,” he revealed.
In his post, he also references actor Harold Pruitt, who died of an overdose in 2002, the same reported way that Panettiere did. He adds having not known what they were going through, but knowing “for them, the battle is over. And I’m sad.” Suplee’s post ends with the “miracle” of his life having been getting help for his drug abuse, and he entered rehab in 2001 and had been sober since.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available 24 hours a day through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
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