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High School Musical came out on Jan. 20, 2006, and was a monumentally successful Disney Channel Original Movie for the network. The DCOM had two sequel movies (one as a theatrical release), a concert tour, merchandise, and now, a Disney+ spinoff show more than a decade later. HSM and Miley Cyrus rose to fame around the same time — in 2006. Was Miley Cyrus in High School Musical 2? Read on to find out.

Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus at the 'High School Musical 2' premiere
Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus at the ‘High School Musical 2’ Premiere on August 14, 2007 | Charley Gallay/Getty Images

Miley Cyrus was a Disney Channel star during ‘HSM’ phenomenon

Cyrus was introduced to the Disney Channel through her role as Hannah Montana. The first episode aired on March 24, 2006, and fans found a new favorite girl lead in the character. After audiences had first fell in love with Lizzie McGuire and That’s So Raven, they now had another multihyphenate to root for.

Cyrus’ rise to Disney fame came a few months after the release of the first High School Musical movie in January of that same year. But High School Musical 2 coincided right with Cyrus’ astronomical rise as the new Disney pop princess in town.

Fans actually voted for who the guest appearance would be

Back in January 2007, Disney Channel announced that it wanted fans to weigh in on decisions for High School Musical 2 through a poll with several questions. The poll would determine certain elements in the sequel.

“It was our viewers who catapulted High School Musical to one of the biggest entertainment stories of the year so we consider it our privilege to give them a chance to participate in the storytelling, to determine elements of the sequel which will be seen by millions of kids and families worldwide,” Disney Channel President Gary Marsh said at the Television Critics Association that year, per Access Online.

Many of the poll questions included minor elements such as determining props for characters in the movie. But one of the poll questions determined a guest appearance from another Disney Channel star.

Was Miley Cyrus in ‘High School Musical’?

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Cyrus ended up winning the fan poll for who would guest-star in High School Musical 2. She was featured in the last musical number, All for One. The movie’s concluding song shows the whole gang dancing around a pool.

The Hannah Montana star dances toward the end of the musical number, wearing a yellow tank that she said in a behind-the-scenes moment was her favorite. Her cameo is quick, but yes, Cyrus is in fact in High School Musical 2.

Cyrus gave an interview while on set about the process of getting into the film.

“On DisneyChannel.com, there was a contest [for] what Disney Channel star they want to see on High School Musical 2, so they voted me,” Cyrus said. She also showed her wardrobe options for the “beach party scene” in the clip.

A few members of the cast vocalized their excitement about Cyrus joining production for her small cameo.

“Miley’s one of my really good friends, she’s like my younger sister,” Ashley Tisdale, who plays Sharpay Evans in the movies, said. “So I was really excited to see her.”

Corbin Bleu spoke about how excited he was to see Cyrus as well. He actually knew her from the start of Hannah Montana. Bleu guest-starred on the pilot episode as Johnny Collins before being Chad Danforth in High School Musical.

“I did the pilot episode of Hannah Montana before it was even the huge show that it’s become, we became really good friends when shot that episode,” Bleu said.

You can stream High School Musical 2 and Hannah Montana on Disney+.

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