Hannah Montana casting director reveals who Miley Cyrus beat out for the role
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The Hannah Montana series turned Miley Cyrus into a household name, but the role could have been a star-making turn for two other actresses.
Rumors have been swirling that singer Belinda, known for her performance in The Cheetah Girls 2, nearly landed the part of the beloved character. However, the Disney Channel show's original casting director, Lisa London, has now put them to rest, revealing who actually almost led the teen hit, which ran from 2006 to 2011.
In a video shared to TikTok, London clarified that the Spanish-Mexican singer was, in fact, not in contention. Instead, Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen and Daniella Monet, who appeared on Nickelodeon's Zoey 101 and Victorious, came close to snagging the plum gig.
Everett Collection Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana
"I discovered Miley Cyrus," said London. "I wanted to let everyone know that Belinda, who is lovely by the way, was never in the top 3 for the role of Hannah."
Related video: Miley Cyrus wrote a thank you letter to Hannah Montana
Pulling in a visual aid as evidence, London shared a piece of paper containing a list of the three actresses vying for the role in 2005. The trio made it to the final round of those competing to play the middle school student and secret pop star, beating out more than a thousand girls who auditioned.
DISNEY CHANNEL/BYRON COHEN; Paul Archuleta/Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic Miley Cyrus; Daniella Monet; Taylor Momsen
London also noted that the character was originally called Chloe rather than Miley Stewart before Cyrus was cast.
The series went on to become a global phenomenon, spawning the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. In March, Cyrus celebrated the show's 15th anniversary with a heartfelt letter to fans.
Dear @HannahMontana, I still love you 15 years later. #HMForever pic.twitter.com/TBqZd5aOKh
— Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) March 24, 2021
"It's been a while — 15 years to be exact — since the first time I slid those blonde bangs over my forehead in the best attempt to conceal my identity," she wrote. "Then slipped into a puke-pink terrycloth robe and a bedazzled HM over the [heart]."
Hannah Montana is currently streaming on Disney+.
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