Hayden Panettiere and her Nashville onscreen rival Connie Britton had 'uncomfortable' dynamic on set

When Hayden Panettiere was first cast as bubblegum country singer Juliette Barnes in 2011 opposite Connie Britton's fading country legend Rayna Jaymes in ABC's Nashville, she was never intended to be the star.

'Not even close,' the 36-year-old actress wrote in her newly published memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning.

'That honor went to Connie, whose Rayna Jaymes was in the twilight of her career, facing a dramatic turning point thanks to yours truly. Juliette wasn't necessarily Rayna's enemy, but she was the antagonist. 

'I threatened Rayna's career, but I was never supposed to outshine her. That was the whole point.'

However, once the pilot of Callie Khouri's critically-acclaimed musical drama became a hit, Panettiere's 'billing had gone way up' which she considered a 'bad idea'

'I went from maybe number five in terms of importance to nipping at Connie's heels. I was deeply uncomfortable with this development,' the two-time Golden Globe nominee wrote.

'I was 23 years old, and Connie was in her 40s with three Emmy nominations under her belt. She was also a new mom. This should have been her time to shine, and while it was in many respects, I was terrified of making Connie worry that I - not my character - was trying to compete with her.'

At one point, Panettiere and her 59-year-old onscreen rival were directed to saunter toward a mic stand and reach for it at the same time.

'This would insinuate our characters' rivalry,' the 5ft blonde wrote.

'I always made sure to grab the mic under Connie's hand, showing her I came in peace and with respect.

'I don't know if she noticed, but I did; I was not going to step on the toes of Rayna Jaymes or Connie Britton.'

Nashville - now streaming on Netflix - aired for six seasons spanning 2012-2018 across ABC and CMT.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Britton's reps for comment.

Panettiere spent two years writing her 320-page tome, which Grand Central Publishing released on Tuesday.

The newly out bisexual beauty's tell-all was previously titled Break Free: Addiction, Trauma, and How the Cheerleader Saved Herself.

Panettiere also wrote about her 'addiction and recovery' after completing three rehab stints for dependence on opioids and alcohol as well as writing about her Hollywood conquests and child custody battle.

The Grammy-nominated narrator is next scheduled to bring her four-date This Is Me book tour to Barnes & Noble in - where else? - Nashville, Tennessee this Thursday.

UK/Australian audiences can catch Panettiere's latest performance as grieving mother Sarah Pangborn in Brandon Auman's dismally-reviewed psychological thriller, Sleepwalker, when it hits theaters this July.

The Heroes alum also served as executive producer on the project.