Notes from the Nashville Paleyfest Panel

Seriously people, I'm talking notes jotted as the panel played on. Enjoy...or not!

Callie Khouri

She's on an incredibly steep learning curve whether she wants it to go on or not.

Regarding Connie, “I had no idea if she could sing, but I knew she had the hair.”

Charles Easton

“I loved the singing, I've always wanted to do that. Without the singing, I don't think I would have gotten a role this good.”

Hayden had her head pressed outside the door while he auditioned, and he knew the cheerleader who had saved the world and all that. That's nothing more that an actor would like to hear than Hayden Panettiere saying “that was so good!” while clapping.

Connie Britton

Was she intimidated by the singing? “Um...yeah.” That was also what was really exciting, being able to dive into that challenge as an actor.

She thought, If I'm ever going to sing, I should probably do it with T-Bone. “And the rhinestones. I really like the outfits.”

Hayden Panettiere

Hayden grew up in New York and everybody thought she was crazy to be a country music fan. Callie said it's the biggest country music market in the world.

“To run across a role that combines the two, there are no words that can describe the two. I thought, something's going to go wrong here.”

Hayden has incredible stage fright. To play a character who's songs really do tell her character arc as well, and taking control of it.

Sam Palladio

“My gran used to bring me to singing lessons and tap lessons. I don't know why I just said that. That was embarrassing. The things you'll say in front of two thousand people.”

“To combine my two loves in a character who has such a great journey....is such a dream.”

Sam jumped the whole casting process and never met Clare before they first sang together. The first sang “If I Didn't Know Better” and it just kind of worked.

They expected they would have to rearrange the song because Sam wouldn't be able to hit the high notes, but he pulled it off without any changes.

Clare Bowen

She's a classically trained singer, and T-Bone told her not to second-guess herself.

“I read Scarlett and I just absolutely fell in love with this beautifully written creature.”

Jonathan Jackson

“When I got the script, I immediately fell in love with the whole show. I don't even care what character I'm looking at, I just love the whole thing.”

Hayden was impressed with his audition and said “you're totally getting this role.”

He has been singing and writing music since he was 11. (Something you'd never have known watching him grow up on General Hospital as Lucky!)

“Everything he touches has a presence in it that is just powerful, beautiful and amazing.” of T-Bone

Other bits:

What's going to happen with Deacon and Rayna?

Charles Easton says “We have this deep abiding love and she's the one for me.” Throughout it all, the mess, the trouble and the turmoil, where we just sit there we can feel it again. It's always right there.”

“It's a very grown up relationship. It's people who have a lifetime and a history together. As actors it's so fun to play because it has depth and dimension together.” “There's always just this foundation between the two of them.”

When the moderator mentioned there's also a deep dark secret there, with Maddie's father? Connie screamed, “He's right here! He's right here! What is WRONG with you??”

Callie: “That's the one thing about being really behind on our scripts.” Not knowing what's going to happen next.

Charles: “I love not knowing. I have no ability to play ahead on what's going to be happening.” “Also what you want to know is going to relieve that tension for why you're going to watch again. Will you please relieve that tension? No.”

Connie said she overheard Hayden saying for an upcoming episode, “What costume do I have to wear in this episode? You know I'm naked the whole time.”

Hayden on Juliette: “I really do believe she's got it in her heart to do the right things. She just goes about it in the wrong way and is so mean.” Juliette's role will be looking at rekindling her relationship with her mother and taking her career into her own hands. And, some clothes might come off in the meantime.

Gunnar and Scarlett: Says Sam, “Gunnar is in a really emotional place right now and Scarlett is being that emotional bedrock for him right now.” Clare, “I think most of it was done on the couch.”

Clare also said, “One of the wonderful things about the way they are being written is the layers and the way they are folding over. They have grief right now. When that happens it puts in front of you someone who you might lose and how much you care about that person.”

Just thought I'd share with you some of the things I thought were interesting from the panel discussion. Thanks to Paleyfest and Livestream.com for bringing it to us live!