25 Surprising Facts About Miley Cyrus and Her Role as Hannah Montana
Though it seems like just yesterday for many millennials and Gen Zers, it has officially been 20 years since Miley Cyrus first appeared as Hannah Montana on the beloved Disney Channel series.
To celebrate this significant milestone, Cyrus, 33, is once again taking the stage with her sparkly microphone for the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, premiering on Disney+ on Tuesday, March 24.
“I used to see Hannah as someone entirely different from me,” the multihyphenate shared with Variety in an interview published on Wednesday, March 18. “This special represents my journey of blending Hannah and Miley into one.”
In honor of two decades of the fictional pop sensation — and the series that jumpstarted Cyrus’ remarkable career — we compiled some intriguing facts in the latest issue of Us Weekly, available now. Keep scrolling to discover 25 things you might not know about Hannah Montana:
1. At just 11 years old, Cyrus initially auditioned for the role of Lilly Truscott in Hannah Montana.
2. Producers encouraged her to audition for the main role of Chloe Stewart (later changed to Miley Stewart), but she was rejected due to her age. Undeterred, she kept returning and eventually won the part a year later.
3. During her auditions, Cyrus sported a T-shirt that read, “I should have my own TV show.”
4. Reality mirrored fiction: After casting Cyrus, producers changed her character’s first name to match hers, incorporated her Tennessee roots, and even cast her real father, Billy Ray Cyrus, as her dad in the show.
5. Other young actors considered for the lead role included JoJo, Taylor Momsen, and Aly Michalka.
6. Miley was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, and her parents, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, nicknamed her “Smiley,” which was later shortened to “Miley.” She legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008.
7. Before Hannah Montana, Miley debuted her acting career on her father’s TV series Doc.
8. The first episode of Hannah Montana aired on March 24, 2006, achieving the highest ratings in the channel’s history with 5.4 million viewers.
9. Hannah Montana aired a total of 98 episodes across four seasons from 2006 to 2011.
10. Jason Earles, who played Miley’s 16-year-old brother Jackson Stewart, was nearly 29 years old when the show premiered.
11. The title of each episode was inspired by a real song. For instance, “Don’t Go Breakin’ My Tooth” was derived from “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”
12. The exterior of the Stewart family home was the same as that of Reese Witherspoon’s character in Big Little Lies. “There’s a twist where you actually had a roommate — that you lived with Hannah Montana,” Miley once told Witherspoon during an interview.
13. Mitchel Musso, who portrayed Oliver Oken, kept his hair long throughout most of the series to conceal that his ears were pierced.
14. Musso’s brother Mason met Miley’s brother Trace on the set of Hannah Montana, and together they formed a band called Metro Station.
15. Initially, Hannah Montana was going to be named Alexis Texas — until Disney found out that was the name of an adult film star.
16. In 2016, Miley said she was the “least paid person” among the Hannah Montana cast because “I didn’t know any better.”
17. The series concluded with Miley telling Lilly, “I love you so much,” to which Lilly responded, “I know.” Emily Osment, who played Lilly, revealed in 2017: “I ad-libbed that so I could have the last line of the whole series.”
18. Miley requested that her real-life godmother, Dolly Parton, be included in the show as “Aunt Dolly.”
19. Miley’s sisters, Noah and Brandi Cyrus, made numerous appearances as extras on the show.
20. A variety of stars guest-starred on Hannah Montana over the years, including Larry David, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jesse McCartney, Lisa Rinna, Ray Liotta, and Jay Leno.
21. Brooke Shields played Miley Stewart’s deceased mother in flashback scenes.
22. Miley went on tour as both herself and Hannah Montana in the Best of Both Worlds Tour, designed to distinguish the real actress and performer from her on-stage character.
23. The 2007 double album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus included the soundtrack for the second season of the show as well as Miley’s debut studio album as herself.
24. Hannah Montana: The Movie, released in 2009, was filmed just miles from Cyrus’ childhood home in Tennessee.
25. Taylor Swift made her acting debut by singing “Crazier” in the movie, and she also wrote the final song, “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home.”
