Big Break

By the time Miley was eleven, her parents' perseverance in finding potential acting jobs for her, as well as her own hard work when auditioning for roles, resulted in Miley getting several small parts in shows and movies. After landing a role in Big Fish, she became more well known as a child actor. She hoped this would lead to bigger roles in other projects.

Miley's hope came true when she and her parents learned about an opportunity at Disney Studios. To get on a Disney show is a major accomplishment for a young actor or actress. Disney is often able to turn its preteen and teenage actors and actresses into stars. For this reason, Miley really wanted the Disney part. She decided to do all she could to get it.

The Disney Formula

The reason a Disney role is so coveted is that Disney has developed a winning formula for making popular preteen and teenage shows. In 2001 the Disney Channel began to create shows that were aimed at preteens, primarily eight- to twelve-year-olds.

Disney shows include pop music. Disney discovered that music draws in more viewers to the shows. Also, Disney realized that music could lead to other profitable ventures. Fans would not only watch the shows, but also buy the soundtracks from the shows and attend concerts featuring music from the shows.

One of the first shows of this kind was Lizzie McGuire, which starred Hilary Duff, who has since become a famous pop star and

actress. Disney released a Lizzie McGuire soundtrack that included songs used in the background of and inspired by the show. The soundtrack included a song by Duff. This led to Duff's own albums, some produced by Disney's Hollywood Records, which became popular and made Duff a pop star.

Disney's success with Lizzie McGuire inspired the company to continue following the formula. Next Disney created The Cheetah Girls, a music-based TV movie about four friends aspiring to be pop stars. The Cheetah Girls went on to perform in successful tours of the music from the movie and soundtrack. Disney combined acting and music in TV series such as That's So Raven, starring Raven-Symone. Raven sings on her series soundtrack. In January 2006 Disney released a TV movie, High School Musical, about high school kids trying out for a musical. The film received an Emmy Award, and the soundtrack was the best-selling album in the United States for 2006.

The show that interested Miley was called Hannah Montana. The premise of the show was an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation. The show's feature role was a teen girl leading a double life as a pop star and a regular student. The creators felt that kids would be able to relate to the girl's regular life and also get to experience, through the show, the pop star life. Disney executives were confident this show would be a hit. “Disney has become a hit machine and all cylinders are clicking,” says Jason Maltby, president of New York-based MediaShare, an ad buying firm. “Its successes breed more successes and provide a platform for new shows like Hannah Montana.”¹⁸ To make the show a success, however, Disney needed to find a young star who could carry the show as an actress and a singer.

The Search Begins

In 2004 the search for the right actress to play Hannah Montana began. The search took nearly a year. Disney placed ads in acting publications such as Back Stage West. The ads invited young actresses to try out for the part of Chloe Stewart, the original name for Hannah Montana's alter ego. The following ad, from Back Stage West, ran in November 2004:

London Stroud Casting is accepting submissions for Hannah Montana, a half-hour sitcom pilot. Exec. prod/wrt. Michael Poryes. Shoot starts Jan. 10, 2005. Chloe Stewart: girl, Caucasian or Latina, 13–17, must be very good with comedy, to play pop star “Hannah Montana,” really wants to fit in at school and is disguised as an everyday girl, must sing very well, series regular.¹⁹

Disney Channel executives wanted the lead actress to appeal to preteens and also to parents. Producers also wanted to find a young actress who was experienced enough to balance regular life with the demands of a TV show. They did not want a star who would end up in the tabloids partying or acting inappropriately. Additionally the lead actress had to have musical talent. “It takes patience,” says Disney Channel Worldwide President Rich Ross of the search. “We needed someone with talent but also the maturity to handle the pressure.”²⁰

Miley heard of Hannah Montana and immediately sent in an audition tape. She sang Joan Jett's I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll. Initially she auditioned for the role of Lilly, the sidekick of the main character. Disney's talent scouts were impressed enough with Miley's tape to ask her to audition for the lead role.

Producers asked Miley to fly in for a face-to-face audition. Miley flew from Tennessee to California but did not get the role. She was eleven and seemed too small and young to carry a show, thought Gary Marsh, Disney Channel entertainment president. “She was completely green and had no professional experience and had never been the star of anything, let alone a real series.”²¹

Miley's Persistence

The Disney Channel continued its search for another six months. Executives would not go forward until they were sure they had found just the right girl. They auditioned over a thousand girls in both New York and California. Marsh did not forget about Miley, however. She continued to send him audition tapes of herself.

Miley's persistence paid off. When she was twelve, Marsh called Miley in for another audition. Miley sang in front of Marsh and

Accent or Not?

M any movies and TV show producers prefer to hire actors who do not have accents. Growing up in Tennessee, Miley developed a strong Southern accent. Because she wanted to be an actress, Miley spent years working with voice and acting coaches to get rid of her Southern accent. When Disney executives finally chose her for the part of Hannah Montana, they surprised her with a request. “After I was selected, they said, ‘Where's your accent? We want it back,’” Miley explains. She then had to work to get her accent back. “I had to go home for two weeks to regain it,” she says. “I sometimes complain, ‘I don't want to say it Southern.’ They say, ‘Say it Southern!’”

Quoted in David Hiltbrand, “Newfound Fame on Disney Shouldn't Faze Miley Cyrus,” Philadelphia Inquirer, May 17, 2006.

fifteen other Disney professionals. Miley gave everything she could in the performance, just like every time she auditioned. “The process was basically repetitive, having to get up in front of people you've never met before and sing your heart out,”²² Miley says.

“She walked into a conference room full of executives. She stood in front of us and knocked us out,” he says. “I remember I came back to my desk that night and wrote a note to my team saying, ‘This is either something extraordinary or a chance that didn't pay off.’”²³ Marsh decided to take the chance. Miley got the lead role in Hannah Montana.

Dad Gets a Break, Too

During the auditions for Hannah Montana, Billy Ray Cyrus also got a call from Disney. They wanted to know if he was interested in playing the part of the lead role's father. Billy Ray held off on auditioning until Disney cast the lead role for Hannah Montana. He did not want to be an influence on whether or not Miley got the part.

When Miley got the job as Hannah, Billy Ray decided he would be interested in working on the show if the part was still available. Disney had already chosen other actors to try out for the part. Since Billy Ray had previously said no, he was not on the list. Once Billy Ray expressed interest, the Disney Channel called him back. “[The Disney Channel] called and said, ‘Hey, we're hiring the daddy tomorrow, but we'd like to take a meeting with you,’” Billy Ray remembers. “I went out there, and they kind of auditioned me, and, you know, it was just pretty obvious the chemistry between Miley and I is just so real.”²⁴

When Billy Ray auditioned, he did a scene with Miley. Miley had auditioned other men to play her father on the show, but the chemistry between her and her own father was immediately apparent. “They only made him audition once, the lucky duck,” Miley says. “They were looking for father-daughter chemistry so it was pretty perfect.”²⁵

Miley was happy that her father was cast on the show. It made her feel safe and secure to know that he would be with her on the set. Also, the two of them had always been friends in addition to being father and daughter. She knew they would have fun together.

To California

The one downside of being on Hannah Montana was that the show taped in California. This meant Miley and her father had to move to California. The family always stuck together, so the entire Cyrus family left Tennessee.

Initially it took the family a while to get used to California. They missed their animals on the farm, their church, and their house. They had to leave their animals under their grandmother's care. When Miley first moved, she especially missed her favorite sport at school—cheerleading. “I'm not part of the school cheerleading squad in LA, because of work,” says Miley. “But back in Nashville, I was on a professional team.”²⁶ Miley had been active in competitive training with the Premier Tennessee All Stars. The team performed all over the country, winning various competitions.

Miley also left a lot of good friends in Tennessee and missed them when she arrived in California. However, her friends supported her move. They were not surprised that Disney picked her to play Hannah Montana. “Ever since I've known her,” says Miley's best friend from Nashville, Lesley Patterson, “she's always been singing nonstop. My mom (Dolly Parton's personal assistant) used to tell her, ‘Girl, you're going places.’”²⁷ Lesley and Miley continued to see each other during filming breaks and visits.

The California weather and great shopping soon won Miley over. A self-described shopaholic, she discovered the many stores in California. Miley admits that she particularly loves shoes and buys all different styles. She and her mom spent several afternoons together shopping for clothes and accessories.

The Show Begins

By the time Miley and her family moved to California, the Disney Channel was ready to film the first season of Hannah Montana. The creators and writers had spent much time writing a show that would appeal to both kids and adults. The creators were experienced in making shows like this. Michael Poryes, cocreator, also cocreated the Disney Channel's hit That's So Raven. Cocreator Rich Correll had over twenty years of TV experience creating family comedies, starting as an associate producer of Happy Days.

Once completed, the show resembled Miley's own life in some ways. Hannah Montana is about fourteen-year-old Miley Stewart, a girl from Tennessee, who moves to California to be a rock star. Miley Stewart leads a double life as an international singing sensation known as Hannah Montana by night and an ordinary girl during the day. Miley Stewart wears a blond wig and makeup whenever she appears as Hannah. On the show Miley lives with her widowed father, Robby, and her brother, Jackson. Robby, played by Miley's own father, is a former country singer, like Billy Ray himself.

This double life on the show is part of the fantasy that captures viewers. James Poniewozik of Time magazine writes:

Hannah Montana is Superman for tween girls: she's got the secret identity, a more relevant superpower and a blond wig instead of a cape. But just as key to the show's success is her Clark Kent—the fictional Miley. Celebrity today is as rarefied as ever, yet with YouTube and reality TV, seems more accessible than ever. It's tantalizing but, as personified by Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, terrifying. Miley—a normal, grounded school kid—makes the fantasy safe. The theme song says it all: “You get the best of both worlds.”²⁸

Writers also felt that both kids and parents would be drawn to Hannah Montana's message. The message is that happiness comes when people follow their dreams but stay true to themselves. In the show, on-screen Miley is often tempted to reveal her alternate identity as Hannah Montana to her classmates in order to be popular. Ultimately Miley stays true to herself and lives her daily life without being a celebrity. “I think everybody has a goal or a dream, and just showing an average girl having her dream come true and still being able to balance her friends and her school is something they relate to,” Miley says. “She's this big Hilary Duff-type celebrity, but that's as important on the show as her homework and her family and friends.”²⁹

Hannah Montana Music

A major part of Hannah Montana is the music. In many episodes, Hannah Montana sings and performs her songs. One of the main reasons that Miley got the part is her singing talent. Disney executives wanted the lead actress to have a strong voice.

Since music was such a major part of Hannah Montana, the producers and creators carefully chose its theme song. “Just Like You” and “The Other Side of Me,” both of which are on the Hannah Montana soundtrack, were initially in the running for the theme song. However, Hannah Montana executives eventually decided that the theme song should be “The Best of Both Worlds.”

“The Best of Both Worlds” is written by Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil and is sung by Miley Cyrus. John Carta, who also composes the music cues for scene changes and commercial breaks in the show itself, composed the music for the song. The song's lyrics descibe Miley Stewart's double life as a pop star and regular student.

Name Changes

O n Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus plays Miley Stewart. However, that was not the character's original name. When first written, Miley Stewart was Zoe Stewart. Zoe Stewart was later changed to Chloe Stewart. Eventually Chloe Stewart became Miley Stewart after Miley Cyrus got the role. Lilly Truscott, Miley Stewart's best friend on the show, was originally named Lilly Romero. The name of Miley's alter ego, Hannah Montana, also changed a few times before Hannah was chosen. Three of the previous names were Anna Cabana, Samantha York, and Alexis Texas. Would Alexis Texas have been as popular as Hannah Montana? It is hard to know, but today fans cannot envision Hannah Montana by any other name.

Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil and several other writers wrote other songs sung by Hannah Montana on the show. Miley thinks that the songs are peppy and fun pop music. She describes Hannah Montana's music style as very similar to Kelly Clarkson, American Idol winner, whom Miley admires.

Life on the Set

Once Miley began work, most of her daily life was spent at Tribune Studios in Hollywood, where Hannah Montana is filmed. She immediately bonded with her costars Emily Osment and Mitchel Musso, both near her age. On the set they often joke around and play pranks. Mitchel says that Miley does the most pranks.

Off the set, Miley, Emily, and Mitchel also became friends. “Miley's been my best friend for the past three years. It's really easy-going on the set working with your best friends,”³⁰ Mitchel says of working together. He, Emily, and Miley text message each other on a regular basis. During filming, they go out for dinners and see movies together.

The three friends say that Disney promotes a family-friendly atmosphere on its shows. “Disney's been incredible,” says Emily. “It's like one big family. We're always together, and no matter what we do, we just always have fun. That's just how Disney is, it's always big smiles and lots of laughter.”³¹

At the end of the filming, Emily and Miley were sad to part for the break. “We cried because it was our last day of taping for season one,” Miley says. “Emily was like, ‘We live so close to each other, you're not gonna miss me.’ Then I didn't see her for months!She was filming a movie and I was on tour.”³²

Miley also had fun working with her dad on the set. They have always been friends, joking with one another. They continued this relationship at work. “I get to do crazy stuff I wouldn't normally get away with, like pour Chinese food all over him. And when [he] got that load of cake in the face!” she explains. “I talk to the writers and make sure he gets hit with something at least twice a week.”³³

Miley does admit that working all day long with her father can be a bit too much. For example, she does not always love to drive to work with him. Miley complains about the music he likes to listen to.

Promoting the Premiere

When Miley finished filming the first season of Hannah Montana, she did not get a break. After filming, she needed to help Disney promote the show before it premiered. Miley interviewed with magazines, TV shows, and newspapers. She made appearances at publicity events. Meanwhile Disney also promoted the show with commercials on its radio and TV channels and through its own press kits to magazines and newspapers.

Additionally as part of the publicity for Hannah Montana, Disney executives decided to give a surprise Hannah Montana concert for a group of seven hundred kids. These kids, mainly preteens, were invited to see a concert and get the chance to be on TV. They were not told who would give the concert.

Miley had spent four days practicing with a coach and choreographer to get six songs right. She remembers being nervous about performing in front of people who had never heard of her. “It was crazy because I was expecting dead silence,” Miley says. “They had no idea who Hannah Montana was.”³⁴ Despite this fact, the kids reacted with great enthusiasm at the concert. They screamed and cheered as though they were at a concert of a wellknown pop star rather than someone they did not know. The enthusiastic reaction surprised Miley. She would soon discover that seven hundred cheering fans was just the beginning of her fame.