Top 10 Behind the Scenes Secrets About Hannah Montana

Everything was carefully thought out on “Hannah Montana”, and episode titles were no exception. In fact, each one references the title of a famous song. For example, an episode titled “It’s A Mannequin’s World” is, you guessed it, a play on legend James Brown’s hit “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”. In it, Miley dresses up as a Hannah Montana mannequin to make sure her dad gets her a birthday gift she approves of. At its core, the episode is about the relationship between a father and his daughter. It’s definitely a clever twist to put on such an iconic song. We can’t think of a better way to honor the show’s musical identity than through these homages to the classics.

On the show, Miley’s brother is only a few years older than her. Surprisingly, the actor behind the role was actually 29 years old when the show started. Though you certainly couldn’t tell by looking at him. So, while Jackson was figuring out who he wanted to be, Jason Earles was entering his 30s and proper adulthood. Despite the age difference, he put his own unique twist on the part. Reportedly, Jackson’s character was initially supposed to be extremely shy and introverted, only communicating with people through puppets. However, after seeing Earles in action, producers reworked the character to make him the goofball we all know and love. It’s safe to say nobody else could have done Jackson Stewart justice.

Oliver Oken’s long hair was such a constant that it was easy to just see it as a fundamental part of his personality. But that wasn’t always the case. It’s no secret that Disney has an image it works extremely hard to preserve. So, there are often rules surrounding what their stars can and can’t do. That’s supposedly what happened here. The network made Musso keep his hair long throughout the show for a specific reason: to hide the fact that he got his ears pierced after Season 1. Towards the end of the show’s run, this requirement became less strict. And now that he’s off-duty, Musso regularly shows off his earrings.

In the 2009 “Hannah Montana” film, Robby Ray realizes his daughter is prioritizing Hannah’s fame above her friends and family, and decides it's time for her to head home. It serves as a reset for Miley, who remembers what’s important in life. There are a lot of parallels to be drawn between the show and real life. Where the movie was shot might be one of the biggest. That’s right: they reportedly used the Cyrus family’s Tennessee ranch as their backdrop. As the Stewarts headed back to where they’re from, so too did the Cyrus clan. Like her character, Miley, who was also a rising starlet at this time, got a chance to reconnect with her roots and gain some perspective in her hometown.

It’s hard to believe that the “other side” of Miley was almost entirely different, at least in name. However, Disney quickly realized that Alexis Texas was the name of an adult film star, and Hannah Montana was born. Given their family-friendly image, this isn’t surprising. Besides, “superstar Alexis Texas” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. And that’s not the only name they changed! We almost followed the life of Chloe, Zoe, or Kylie Stewart, though there’s no consensus on which one. Either way, the reason for the switch is pretty sweet. It’s no coincidence that the actress and character have the same moniker: it’s because Billy Ray allegedly kept accidentally calling his daughter by her name while shooting. Lucky for us, everything worked out.

Sometimes we forget that celebrities go through a lot of the same things as the rest of us. When Cyrus started starring in Hannah Montana, she was just a kid. And like a lot of kids, she needed braces. Even so, the lead starlet of a Disney show sporting the gear on TV was far from common. So, unlike most of us, she got lingual braces, which are hidden behind your teeth. Viewers were none the wiser. Yet we can’t help but think it might have been nice for tweens growing up to see a main character on such a popular network with visible ones. Regardless, Miley’s teeth are definitely flawless now, and her glowing smile proves it.

The voice behind some of the most popular tunes of the 2000s was originally offered the role of Miley/Hannah. She turned it down because it wasn’t the vision she had for herself and her career. She understood the expectations that came with being a Disney starlet, and wanted to forge her own path outside the corporate machine. And years later, JoJo confirmed having no regrets over the decision. Nonetheless, the part wasn’t quite Miley’s yet. Taylor Momsen, who most of us know as Gossip Girl’s Jenny Humphrey, was a finalist in the audition process! One thing’s for sure: all three women have gone on to have successful careers in their own right. It seems everyone ended up exactly where they were meant to.

There is no question that Miley Cyrus was the star of “Hannah Montana”. So you would assume she was paid accordingly. Yet that’s far from being true. In an interview with Elle, Cyrus said “I mean, at one point—they'll probably kill me for saying it—I was probably the least paid person on my [Hannah Montana] cast because I didn't know any better.” After realizing how poorly kids in the industry are treated, her family stepped in. Still, Cyrus wasn’t the only one with a bone to pick over compensation. In fact, the co-creators of the show all filed arbitration demands against Disney. They claimed they were not paid their fair share. Hopefully everyone got what they were owed in the end.

The female friendship at the heart of “Hannah Montana” is part of what made it such an endearing show to watch. Not to mention both roles felt perfectly cast. So it’s surprising to discover that Cyrus originally went in for the role of the loyal best friend. Emily Osment was ultimately a better fit for that part, and went on to really make it her own. As for Miley, the casting executives felt they saw something in her and asked her to come back and audition for the lead part instead. She did, and the rest is history. We definitely got the best of both worlds with this one.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

To Save Money, The Wardrobe in the First Season Was from Forever 21

Mitchel Musso Went from a Main Role to a Recurring Character So He Could Star in His Own Show

It Was Originally Conceived as a “That’s So Raven” Spinoff Featuring Alyson Stoner

The series finale of “Hannah Montana” saw Miley turn down a movie to go to college with Lilly. Emily Osment even apparently ad-libbed the last line of the show, which made it super emotional. It was a perfect send-off, except it almost wasn’t. There was an alternate ending where the screen fades out and the words “Tennessee: 12 years ago” appear. We see a young Miley Cyrus playing with dolls and singing about becoming a star. In other words, the whole show was a figment of her imagination. It was definitely a meta idea, but it would’ve been a disappointing way to cap off a series many grew up with. All in all, it’s safe to say they chose the right ending.