What Miley Cyrus Learned From ‘Hannah Montana’: ‘I Didn’t Know How Lucky I Was’
Nearly a decade later, Miley Cyrus’ role in Hannah Montana, an ’00s Disney Channel sitcom, may still be what she is best known for. However, she’s had a highly publicized music career in the years since, during which time she’s said both good and bad things about the show. Here’s why Cyrus is leaning positive in 2020.
Miley Cyrus starred in ‘Hannah Montana’
Cyrus began starring in the popular series in 2006. She wasn’t even a teenager when she was cast as Miley Stewart, a girl trying to live an ordinary life while hiding her identity as a famous singer. Hannah Montana aired until 2011, and also included a feature film.
While working on the Disney Channel, Cyrus also released music. In addition to Hannah Montana‘s soundtracks for each season (and the movie), she put out three albums through Disney’s Hollywood Records: Meet Miley Cyrus, Breakout, and Can’t Be Tamed. The last came as she left Disney at 17 years old.
Her ‘Bangerz’ era was one of rebellion
Disney’s lack of promotion around Can’t Be Tamed and the outcry from the media showed that Cyrus’ more mature persona had a cultural impact. Going from the wholesome character she played on TV to trying to breaking free of that image and establish herself as an artist led to Cyrus’ 2013 album, Bangerz.
While it’s been seven years since Cyrus took the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards and twerked with Robin Thicke, making history for the award show, it’s a moment that few can forget. Her subsequent albums, Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz and Younger Now, didn’t perform as well and are less cited than her Hannah Montana and Bangerz years.
What Cyrus learned while working on the show
Appearing on the podcast Call Her Daddy in August 2020, Cyrus shared what she took away from her experience on Hannah Montana. “I definitely treat the people that are lowest on the call sheet better than [the ones] at the top,” she said. “Because so many f*cking people already do that for the ones at the top.”
Cyrus also learned a particular skill. “They taught me how to glue my f*cking wig down,” she said.”They prepared me in a way that you cannot pay money for.” Cyrus added, “What 11-year-old do you know that has a real-hair, lace-front [wig], sitting on a mannequin head?”
She reflects on ‘Hannah Montana’
In 2020, Cyrus shared clips from Hannah Montana on social media. And she’s just as “obsessed” as her fans are with them. “It was a dream life,” Cyrus told host Alexandra Cooper of her Disney years. “It seemed like a nightmare when I wanted to escape it, but that’s just being 18. You want to escape who you are.”
She continued. “The relationship that I had with myself as Hannah and all that, that was a great time in my life. I loved working with my dad [Billy Ray Cyrus] every day. At the time, I didn’t know how lucky I was.”
