Twenty years ago, every afternoon after school, kids tuned in to the Disney Channel to follow the story of Miley Stewart, a teenager with a normal life and a secret career as a pop star. Thousands grew up alongside her, from 2006 to 2011, with dozens of concerts and hit songs, merchandise bearing her face, and two box office hits. The actress behind that character, Miley Cyrus (Tennessee, 33 years old), became Disney’s biggest star, a symbol of a now-defunct industry that had its golden age in the early part of this century.
The singer, who would later disown her Disney past, has reconciled with her history and returns on Tuesday, March 24, with a program on the Disney+ platform that promises a heavy dose of nostalgia. Disney has explained that it will be a special filmed on the set of the famous series, featuring an intimate interview with the actress and singer about the character that defined pop culture.
An obsolete star-making empire
Hannah Montana premiered on March 24, 2006, in the U.S. and arrived in the rest of the world months later. The series tells the story of Miley Stewart, a teenager with a double life, along with her friends Lily and Oliver, her brother Jackson, and her father Billy Ray. But before and after Hannah, there were other very popular characters on the Disney Channel, which specialized in launching young stars. Lizzie McGuire, starring Hilary Duff, was the first. Later came Demi Lovato in Camp Rock, Selena Gomez in Wizards of Waverly Place, and Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale in High School Musical.
But none matched the success of Hannah Montana: it became the most-watched series in Disney Channel history, reaching 10.7 million viewers for some episodes. Its soundtracks were best-sellers between 2006 and 2011, it was nominated for four consecutive Emmy Awards, won two BAFTAs (in 2008 and 2009), swept several Teen Choice Awards, and even earned Miley Cyrus the Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite TV Actress twice, an award run by Disney’s competitor Nickelodeon. It amassed dozens of platinum and gold albums, and the complete Hannah Montana catalog has accumulated over 500 million hours of streaming views to date.
Ashley Spencer, a cultural journalist, is the author of the book Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire. Spencer says she spoke with more than 150 people who worked at the channel between the 1990s and the 2010s, the network’s golden age. “I spoke with people who worked at every level: from corporate executives making the decisions, to directors, showrunners, assistants, writers, actors, and singers.” She reviewed the entire Disney universe, which, in addition to the channel, included the Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records labels, and the Disney Pictures studio.
In the 1980s, Nickelodeon was the leading channel among teenagers, while Disney didn’t take its own channel very seriously. According to Spencer, it ranked lower on their list of priorities than movies, music, theme parks, and cruises. “When Lizzie McGuire took off [in the 2000s], Disney realized it could make a lot of money from the show by having the stars start out on the channel and then go on to work for the company, with record deals and movies.”
And then it was Miley Cyrus’ turn. Was she really the biggest star of that era? “In terms of money and carrying a franchise, there’s no doubt she’s at the top,” Spencer answers emphatically. “Miley was irresistible because she connected as ‘the girl next door.’ She wasn’t perfect, she was outspoken, funny, and herself, but at the same time, she had incredible talent. She allowed so many girls to identify with her and aspire to be like her.” She became a role model as she grew up in the public eye.
Living like a Disney girl
Cyrus didn’t attend a traditional school; she had to deal with paparazzi, and the kids her age she knew were other Disney actors. “They had the same pressures, arguments, and relationships as any high school student,” Spencer explains. Amidst filming, the typical teenage romances and rivalries blossomed, but with the significant difference that they appeared on magazine covers. “On the one hand, it was good publicity, but on the other, Disney wanted to maintain an image of innocence,” the writer points out.
Disney was clear that Cyrus couldn’t stray from the cuteness of her character, even though her fame was beyond her control. In 2008, for example, two years after the series premiered and when she was only 15, Vanity Fair photographed her for an interview where she appeared covered only by a white sheet. “The topless but demure portrait accompanying this article could be seen as another baby step, as it were, toward a more mature profile,” the magazine claimed at the time.
Years passed, the star grew up, and the clash between the sweet little girl and the almost-woman became a hot topic. Spencer believes the impact was so great because of Cyrus’ platform, which, unlike her predecessors, allowed her to reach the peak of her fame while still under contract with Disney: “Her fame was extreme while she was still under contract. She had a grueling work schedule and a lot of pressure.” Then she released the album Can’t Be Tamed, an act of rebellion technically released by Disney through Hollywood Records. And the complete break is more than documented, with her haircut, the tattoos on her body, and the controversial performance at the 2013 MTV VMAs.
Reconciliation
In an interview with The New York Times last year, Miley Cyrus reflected on her story: “Starting from being on Disney, you already have something that you have to overcome.” She recounted how it affected her to never be nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys because she was always in the shadow of Hannah Montana. “every year, never having my name called, and I was working so hard. I’m not saying I am owed it or I deserve it, but it just felt like, “What am I not doing?””
But one day, Cyrus embraced Hannah Montana once again. On the 2019 anniversary, she posted photos and videos from the series on her social media, returned to Hannah’s hair color and cut, and sang “Best of Both Worlds” in her car. In 2021, she wrote a lengthy letter to her character, thanking her and confessing that she had been her “best gift.” The complete reconciliation, including with the company that created her, came with her recognition as a Disney Legend in 2024, making her the youngest person ever to hold the title. “I’m still here, proud to have been Hannah Montana,” she said in a moving speech.
The grand finale will be on Tuesday, with Hannah Montana: 20th Anniversary Special, a moment for nostalgic millennials to enjoy the best of both worlds: the Miley who embraces her past and the one who looks to the future as the established artist she is.
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