Child Dancer: Unveiling Ongoing Compensation
Dana Vaughns performed the “Hoedown Throwdown” alongside Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie — and he’s still cashing in from it.
“How much did I earn from the Hannah Montana film? Honestly, I’m not sure,” Vaughns, 28, mentioned in a TikTok video shared on Thursday, April 2, TikTok. “But I just returned from a trip to Dallas this weekend and found a check in the mail for the Hannah Montana movie.”
He opened the envelope to reveal that he “earned a remarkable $66.40” from his latest paystub.
“I think the residuals come from when people stream it on Disney+ or wherever the movie is available,” Vaughns remarked. “It’s nice getting a random [check], though I’ve received them as low as $9, $6, $4, even just 10 cents. Those residuals can get really small.”
Vaughns captioned his post, “Hannah Montana still brings in the cash.”
Cyrus, 33, portrayed Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in Disney Channel’s series of the same name, which followed the life of a seemingly ordinary teen girl living as a famous pop star. The Hannah Montana series ran from 2006 to 2011, featuring Miley, her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, and Jason Earles. The cast reunited for the 2009 film, Hannah Montana: The Movie.
In Hannah Montana: The Movie, Miley took a break from her pop stardom to visit family in her fictional hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee. At one point, she sang “Hoedown Throwdown” at a local barn fundraiser. Vaughns played a young dancer learning the now-famous line dance.
@danavaughns HANNAH MONTANA still be paying 😌 #hannahmontana #disney #childhood #money
“You’ll never guess what Miley Cyrus taught me on set. At that time, she told me she actually practiced break-dancing,” Vaughns recalled in another TikTok video shared last month regarding his experiences during the Disney film. “She trained in break-dancing. I don’t know if she has mentioned that before or if it’s true, but I believe it.”
Vaughns added that Miley claimed to have mastered a specific “isolation move” in her neck and showed him how to do it.
“I’m not sure what the move is called or any of it, but what I do know is Miley Cyrus taught me how to perform it,” he joked. “Miley, if you happen to see this, thank you so much. That move has significantly impacted my dance career, and I’ve kept it in my repertoire ever since.”
Miley Cyrus took on dual roles as Hannah Montana and Miley Stewart on the show — but her pay was reportedly less than both actresses who nearly got the role. Cyrus, 31, is said to have earned $8,000 per episode during the first season of the Disney Channel series, according to a new book by author Ashley Spencer, Disney […]
Although Miley did not reply to Vaughns’ video, she recently marked the 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana just last month.
“Last night at the premiere of the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. Standing with Jason, Moises [Arias], Cody [Linley], Ana Maria [Perez de Tagle], and Shanica [Knowles], the cast I grew up with was a full-circle moment I’ll always cherish,” wrote the Grammy winner via Instagram on March 24 following the red carpet premiere of her Disney+ reunion special. “We found our way back home, and it felt amazing. Thank you for growing up with us.”
