Hayden Panettiere addresses challenges while filming 'Sleepwalker'

Hayden Panettiere has opened up about the emotional toll of taking on a role as intense as her latest psychological thriller, Sleepwalker.

In a new interview with Us Weekly, the actress reflected on the challenges that came with portraying Sarah, a grieving mother whose trauma following her daughter’s tragic car accident plays out through frightening sleepwalking visions. 

In her chat, Panettiere shared how she worked to protect her mental health while navigating such dark material.

“I have to say, it’s a constant battle,” she admitted.

Panettiere went on to explain how her emotional availability as an actor has often shaped the kinds of roles she has offered.

“Once people figure out that you can be emotional and produce those tears, they love it, and then they’ll write a lot of that in, as you see in things like [my show] Nashville."

"But I’ve found that the more that I have been through in my life, sometimes the harder it is to get there, because once I let those walls down, it can be much harder for me to transition out and shake it off," she continued. 

She remarked, "I really find books helpful for that."

The actress said reading has become an important way for her to decompress and reset after filming.

“They focus me. I’m a big fan of fantasy and science fiction. It’s almost, like, a meditation for me, where my brain gets to focus solely on one thing, creating this world out of words,” she concluded.