Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis reunites with ‘Heroes’ cast to remember Hayden Panettiere

Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis joined several of his former “Heroes” castmates for an emotional reunion last week to celebrate the life of Hayden Panettiere, the show’s breakout star who died August 16 at age 36.

Jimmy Jean-Louis, who played the mysterious character known only as “The Haitian” in 32 episodes of the NBC superhero drama, shared photos from the gathering on Instagram, including a group shot with fellow cast members Jack Coleman, Masi Oka and Adrian Pasdar. Actress Madeline Zima also attended in person, while Zachary Quinto, who played the villain Sylar, and Sendhil Ramamurthy joined by video call.

“A HEROES reunion to celebrate the life of HAYDEN was deeply emotional,” Jean-Louis wrote in the post, adding that the gathering was filled with “sadness in our hearts, but also so much love, gratitude, and warmth” as the cast remembered “the beautiful moments shared and the lasting impact of a life that touched so many.” He closed the tribute with “Au revoir Hayden” and the hashtag #HaitianHero, a nod to the role that first connected him to Panettiere and the rest of the “Heroes” ensemble nearly two decades ago.

The post drew a wave of comments from fans and former colleagues. Series writer Bryan Fuller wrote that it was “so wonderful to reconnect,” while other commenters used the hashtag #HeroesForever to remember Panettiere as “a joy to work with.”

Panettiere rose to fame as a child actor before landing her breakout role as cheerleader Claire Bennet in “Heroes,” which premiered in 2006 and ran for four seasons. Jean-Louis’s character crossed paths with Claire throughout the series as one of the show’s most enigmatic figures, a role that made the Port-au-Prince-born actor a recognizable face to American television audiences and a source of pride back home in Haiti.

Panettiere was found unresponsive on Aug. 16 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had been temporarily staying. First responders attempted to resuscitate her after finding her in cardiac arrest, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.