Miley Cyrus recounts how dad Billy Ray Cyrus protected her 'every single day' on “Hannah Montana ”set
Miley Cyrus recounts how dad Billy Ray Cyrus protected her 'every single day' on “Hannah Montana ”set
Shania RussellThu, March 19, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTC
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Miley Cyrus and Bill Ray Cyrus on 'Hannah Montana'Credit: DISNEY CHANNEL/BYRON COHEN
Miley Cyrus knows the struggles of child stardom very well. But her experience was different than most for one key reason.
At just 13 years old, the actress and singer was thrust into the spotlight as the star of an immediate Disney Channel hit, Hannah Montana. But unlike many of the era's young network TV stars, Cyrus always had her dad right by her side.
While looking back on the Hannah years during a recent chat with Variety, the "Flowers" singer pointed out that having dad Billy Ray Cyrus star alongside her across the show's 98-episode run gave her a sense of safety that not every child actor is afforded.
"My dad was on set every single day," Cyrus said. "So there was nothing that could happen that he wouldn't know about."
She explained that throughout her five years filming the children's sitcom, her dressing room was connected to her dad's and in between them was a kitchen-turned-office that her grandmother Loretta "Mammie" Finley worked out of, managing Miley's fan club.
Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus on 'Hannah Montana'Credit: Everett Collection
"There was never a time where I was going to be alone in that dressing room," Cyrus said.
Over the past few years, safety on the set of children's programs has been reevaluated, partially fueled by revelations made about the alleged abuse that took place under hit producer Dan Schneider's tenure at Nickelodeon in the 1990s-2010s. In 2024, the scandal was the subject of the Investigation Discovery docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which contained claims of a toxic work environment and abuse at the network. The docuseries also saw All That alum Drake Bell detail the "extensive" sexual abuse that he endured in his teens by network dialogue coach Brian Peck, who was later convicted of child molestation.
In the wake of Quiet on Set, several former child stars spoke about their own struggles in the industry, from the stress of being their family's breadwinner to the difficulties of being handed mature and/or suggestive material.
As for Miley, the Hannah Montana star argued that it wasn't just having her dad on set that shielded her from the dark side of child stardom — it was having two parents in her corner who never let the money or fame get in the way of looking out for her.
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"My parents didn’t need me to be famous to survive or to be stable," she said of Billy Ray and her mom, Tish Cyrus. "What happens to a lot of these kids is their parents want it more than they do, or the kids become responsible for the entire income of the family. That was never my job."
She added, "Every penny I ever made went into my bank account because my parents were good."
Miley Cyrus and dad Billy Ray Cyrus in 2017Credit: Chris Polk/BBMA2017/Getty
For four seasons, Miley starred as Miley Stewart, a teenager living a double life as a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana. Her dad's character was also molded after his actual persona: he played Billy Ray Stewart, a retired country singer penning songs for his pop star daughter. But his role on the show wasn't always a given.
Cyrus' mother, Tish, told the outlet that it was actually her idea to get Billy Ray on the show. After the search for Miley's onscreen dad began, a casting director joked to Tish, "Too bad we can't afford her real dad."
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Tish then convinced Billy Ray to audition for the show, in the hopes that the entire family could move out to California to be together during production.
"But my dad is too nice," Miley said, recalling the day of his audition. "He goes out into the parking lot, grabs other dads, brings them into Disney and is like, 'You should hire this guy! He's a great actor!'"
She continued, "And my mom was behind him, squeezing his back, saying, ‘Shut up! We need you to get the role so we can all move out here!'"
Despite Billy Ray's efforts, he landed the gig in the end, bringing the Cyrus family together both onscreen and off. Tish and Billy Ray later split in 2020, with Tish filing to divorce the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer two years later.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
