Shanica Knowles, known for her role as Amber Addison in “Hannah Montana,” is embracing the nostalgia surrounding the show’s 20th anniversary. In a heartfelt social media post, the actress and singer praised Miley Cyrus for her talent and looked back on their friendship. Knowles’ tribute comes just days after Disney marked the major milestone with a television special, featuring performances of the series’ most iconic songs and sentimental trips down memory lane.
Shanica Knowles Shares Photos From ‘Hannah Montana’ 20th Anniversary Special
“Hannah Montana” alums, including Knowles, have been recounting some of their favorite memories from filming the show in the early 2000s amid the program’s 20th anniversary.
After appearing on the red carpet at the Los Angeles El Capitan Theatre on March 23, Knowles shared some of the snaps with moving captions on her Instagram.
One photo clearly moved Knowles. It featured the show’s main cast, including her fellow fictional mean girl Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Cody Linley, Jason Earles, Moises Arias, and, of course, Cyrus.
In the caption, she shared a special message for them all, calling Earles’ character, Jackson, the funniest on the show and praising Linley, saying he still has his character’s signature “swag and charm.”
‘Hannah Montana’ Alum Shanica Knowles Calls Miley Cyrus The Most ‘Down To Earth Home Girl’ In Sentimental Tribute
When it was time for Cyrus’ tribute, Knowles poured her heart out, noting that Cyrus moved to Hollywood from Tennessee with no formal acting experience.
“Like, how does that happen right? But when I worked with her it made sense,” Knowles wrote. “She just had the “IT” factor.”
Knowles boasted about Cyrus’ “natural charm and charisma,” calling the Grammy winner one of the most “down to earth home girl[s]” she’s ever met.
As she continued, Knowles acknowledged the success Cyrus has had since working on “Hannah Montana,” but said that wouldn’t change the way she viewed her.
“The world may see you as Miley Cyrus, but I’ll always see you as the girl I had fun slumber parties with, wrote songs together with, talked about boys together with, and stayed up all night laughing on the phone with. I’ll always see you as just…Miley,” she wrote.
Miley Cyrus Celebrated 20 Years Of ‘Hannah Montana’ With An Epic Hannahversary
The cast of “Hannah Montana” gathered for the show’s 20th-anniversary premiere. The special, hosted by “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper, featured Cyrus revisiting the show’s most iconic sets and reconnecting with Disney executives and former characters.
Cyrus sang re-recorded versions of “The Best of Both Worlds,” “This Is The Life,” and “The Climb.” She also premiered a new song, “Younger You.”
“Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection,” Cyrus said about the special. “The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”
Miley Cyrus Spills The Tea On Taylor Swift’s Surprise Appearance In The ‘Hannah Montana’ Movie
According to a previous report from The Blast, Cyrus shared some behind-the-scenes information about “Hannah Montana” that fans had never heard before during the special. One admission was about Taylor Swift‘s surprise appearance in the movie.
According to Cyrus, Disney cast Swift in the film because, at the time, she fit the character’s bill perfectly.
“For that scene, get the tea kettle,” Cyrus said. “So the way that Taylor Swift ended up in the ‘Hannah Montana’ movie was because this was kind of the beginning of her career, and they were looking for someone that would authentically, no shade, I guess, be performing in a barn. We both performed in the barn.”
Swift Had Another Role In The Movie
In another interview, Cyrus also spilled the beans about how Swift’s song “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” made its way into the movie.
“Taylor had pitched that song along with a lot of other writers and songs, and we were just kind of curating the thing that would most kind of bring the story of the film to life,” Cyrus said.
For those unfamiliar with the movie’s plot, by the end of the film, Cyrus’ character, Miley Stewart, tells her hometown that she’s Hannah Montana.
“So we wanted a really big song for the finale of that,” she continued. “It needed to feel celebratory because, you know, obviously Miley had just told the biggest secret.”
She added, “And so we needed something that felt like the kind of balloon that drops all the way down, you get grounded, you get still, but then it needs to go all the way back up, and so I love that song.”
