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While we can’t imagine a world without Miley Cyrus playing Hannah Montana, there were actually a lot of other former Disney stars up for the role — including Aly Michalka!
The actress, known for being one-half of musical duo Aly and AJ with sister AJ Michalka, was actually offered the role originally — as her other show, Phil of the Future, was wrapping up in 2006. During a podcast appearance on “Call Her Daddy” in January 2025, the former Disney star recalled being told she was “really perfect” for the Hannah Montana pilot when she was almost 17 years old.
“I just remember reading it and being like, ‘Wait. But I’m doing music as Aly, and this might be really confusing being Hannah, and being the character also playing Hannah,’” she told host Alex Cooper.
ICYMI, the eponymous Disney Channel series ran from 2006 to 2011 and starred Miley as the “Best of Both Worlds” pop star Hannah Montana slash normal high school teen Miley Stewart.
While Aly was told that her sister could also play the main character’s best friend (which eventually went to Emily Osment), Aly thought the focus on her would make it difficult for viewers to separate Hannah from her own musical career with her sister. On top of that, after two years of Phil of the Future and Disney movie Cowbelles and Now You See It, she figured it was time to move on from the children’s network.
“I just remember thinking, like, ‘I’ve kind of done what I wanted to do here on the channel,’” Aly explained.
Aly isn’t the only former child actress that was up for the role of Hannah, either.
In February 2022, the show’s original casting director, Lisa London, went on to explain who the final three actresses who were up for the role were, after Mexican singer Belinda claimed she nearly played the “Best of Both Worlds” pop star.
“I’m actually the original casting director on Hannah Montana, and I discovered Miley Cyrus,” Lisa said on her TikTok. “I wanted to let everyone know that Belinda, who is lovely by the way, was never in the top three for the role of Hannah.”
Instead, Lisa revealed a photographed sheet of paper, which was dated May 6, 2005, and featured Miley’s name along with two others: Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen and Victorious actress Daniella Monet. “These were the final three actresses the network test out of over 1,200 girls,” Lisa revealed.
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English (US) ·