In March of 2006, Miley Cyrus' career changed forever, as she made her debut on the show 'Hannah Montana'. At the start, that wasn't the goal, in fact, Miley had auditioned for the secondary role. She was initially told that she was too small and young, though that all changed thanks to her acting and singing prowess.
The show turned into a juggernaut for Disney, lasting four seasons and a near 100 episodes. More importantly, Miley turned into a mega star, though making the transition after the show wasn't very easy.
Cyrus couldn't detach from her character and she struggled with what was next for her career. In truth, it was the dark side of her fame on the show that nobody saw.
Cyrus Had To Evolve
When all you know is one specific character, moving on can be very hard. Making matters that much more difficult, Miley felt as though she was the character, the only difference was the wig that she had during the Disney show. Ultimately, it was motivation from outside that forced her to move in a different direction, as she stated with Rolling Stone in what was a very revealing interview, "I had to evolve because Hannah was larger than life, larger than me. I felt like I was never going to amount to the success of Hannah Montana. That’s how Lil Nas X actually knew of my dad. He grew up watching Hannah Montana and said, “I want to do a song with Robby Ray.”
''That’s literally what happened. Being a young queer kid’s idol that could turn out to be a Lil Nas X and create a whole identity for themselves off being inspired from watching me growing up. Or I hear artists like Troye Sivan say he felt more comfortable with his sexuality when I came out with “My Heart Beats for Love.”
''When my peers are having these experiences and accepting themselves because of something that I demonstrated while they were a kid, that’s when I go, “Shit, I am Hannah Montana.” Really, Hannah Montana was not a character. That wasn’t what the show is about. It was about a normal girl with a wig on. Everything was always in me. The concept of the show, it’s me. I’ve had to really come to terms with that and not be third-person about it.''
The identity crisis was very real when the show came to an end.
Miley's Dark Side
We've seen several examples of celebs getting too deep into character and not being able to get out. Although Miley's role on the Disney show was light-hearted, she could not disconnect from it and be herself, "Talk about an identity crisis. I (was) a character almost as often as I was myself, and actually the concept of the show is that when you're this character (and) when you have this alter ego, you're valuable. And then the concept was that when I looked like myself when I didn't have the wig on anymore, that no one cared about me. I wasn't a star anymore. That was drilled into my head like without being Hannah Montana no one cares about you.''
Miley made mention with USA Today that she played into the character, given how fans saw her on the show. Finding her own way was tough, but she was finally able to rebrand and start from scratch, leaving Hannah Montana behind.
The Letter
It is clear by now, Cyrus has moved on and success continues to follow. However, as she posted on Instagram just a few months back, she hasn't forgotten about the role.
To this day, Cyrus is honored to have played the role, ''Hannah, I hope you hear me and believe those words are true,” Cyrus said. “You have all my love and utmost gratitude. Breathing life into you for those six years was an honor. I am indebted not only to you, Hannah but to any and everyone who believed in me from the beginning. You all have my loyalty and deepest appreciation until the end. With all sincerity, I say, thank you!”
It took a little while to detach but we can all say that Miley did so and successfully, transitioning her career in ways many never thought possible. Despite her edgy ways and new fame, it is still great to see that Miley hasn't forgotten about the Disney role.
Sources: USA Today, Rolling Stone & Instagram