Miley Ray Stewart is the central character of the Hannah Montana media franchise, portrayed by Miley Cyrus. The character was originated in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana and also appeared in the feature film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Miley is a normal teenage girl who, as her alter ego Hannah Montana, secretly leads a double life as a world famous pop star.

Character development[link]

The character was originally named Chloe Stewart but was changed to Miley Stewart.^[2]

Casting[link]

Cyrus learned about the casting for a new Disney show at the age of 11 through a Nashville talent agent. She sent in a tape auditioning for the show's best friend role, but received a call asking her to audition for the lead. After she sent in a tape and was flown to Hollywood for further auditions, Cyrus was told that she was too young and too small for the role. However, Cyrus' persistence and ability to sing in addition to act caused the show's producers to invite her back for further auditions. Producers eventually narrowed the large pool of candidates down to three actresses, including Cyrus and Taylor Momsen, and gave the part to Cyrus, then twelve.^[3] According to Disney Channel president Gary Marsh, Cyrus was chosen because of her energetic and lively performance and was seen as a person who "loves every minute of life,"^[4] with the "everyday relatability of Hilary Duff and the stage presence of Shania Twain."^[5]

Cyrus' casting also led to the casting of her real life father, Billy Ray Cyrus, as the father of her character on the show. Cyrus was initially wary; according to her mother and co-manager, Tish Cyrus, "Miley's concern at the time was, oh my gosh, people are going to think I only got this part because of my dad."^[3] However, worried that her family would otherwise have to be separated as they had been when her father first landed the lead in the television series Doc, Cyrus relented and helped audition her father for the part.^[3]

Character backstory[link]

Miley was born in the fictional town of Crowley Corners in Tennessee on November 23, 1992 (Cyrus's real birth date). Her family consisted of her parents Robby and Susan Stewart and an older brother named Jackson. She also has many relatives in her extended family including her grandmother Ruthie Stewart, Aunt Dolly (played by Dolly Parton), Uncle Earl and Aunt Pearl, and a cousin named Luanne. The characterizations given to most of her family members poke fun at country bumpkin stereotypes. She also had a pet pig named Luanne and a pet hamster named Leslie. She has a horse named Blue Jeans, who came from Tennessee to Malibu to live with Miley and her family.

Miley received a love for music from her father, who was a popular country music star. Her parents recognized Miley's potential and gave her a guitar on December 25, 2000. This event is shown in the episode "I Am Hannah, Hear Me Croak" when Miley views it on her laptop.^[6]

By the time she was 12 years old, Miley had become a famous pop star under the stage name "Hannah Montana." She goes to great lengths to disguise herself as Hannah in order to keep her true identity a secret, because she is worried that if people knew her secret they would like her just because she's famous. The only people who knew she's Hannah before revealing her identity to the world in I'll Always Remember You, outside of her family are her best friends, Lilly Truscott, Oliver Oken and her bodyguard Roxy. However, in the episode "Hannah Montana to the Principal's Office" it is shown that the President of the United States knows her secret.

Personal life[link]

Apart from her life as a pop star, Miley leads a very normal life. She is fond of camping^[7] and hanging out at the beach, but is not at all athletic.^[8] She has a fear of spiders^[9] and visiting the dentist.^[10] She also occasionally struggles with her school work and her self confidence. She often goes through over-the -top schemes to deal with her problems.

School[link]

In the first season, Miley is an 8th grader at Seaview Middle School, and in the second season she enters Seaview High School. She became a sophomore in early episodes in Season 3 and later, a junior during the season before the beginning of Season 4. Despite her father offering her the option of homeschooling, Miley decided to attend Public School in order to be a "normal kid," a decision she sometimes finds herself regretting.^[11] Due to her double life, she is often in awkward positions and is forced to lie in order to keep her secret.

Miley's best friends are classmates Lilly Truscott (Emily Osment) and Oliver Oken (Mitchel Musso) who both learn her secret and help her keep it from their other classmates.

Relationships[link]

Miley is especially close with her father, from whom she receives much good advice and emotional support. She also values her relationships with her best friends Lilly and Oliver. However Miley is shown to be very uncomfortable with the fact that they're dating and even stops them from being a couple. Her relationship with Lilly occasionally suffers the occasional setback, but they always make up. In the episode 'What I Don't Like About You', Miley is asked to choose a side between a fight Lilly and Oliver had. But Miley, showing what a kind friend she was, made a mini-Indiana Joannie movie, which made Lilly and Oliver forgive each other. Miley's relationship with her brother Jackson is often hostile. The two siblings constantly fight and trash talk each other. However, in a few private conversations, both Miley and Jackson say that they love and appreciate each other, but they are both unwilling to admit this in public.^[12]

Miley also has several dating relationships, many of which are short lived.

Oliver Oken (played by Mitchel Musso): Miley and Lily's best male friend. "In I Honestly Love You (No Not You)", Miley believes that Oliver is in love with her when she overhears him (while asleep in the hospital because of a broken ankle) say "I love you". However after a talk with her dad she thinks that Oliver will move on and so will Lilly but when Lilly announces that she is in love with Oliver, Miley ends up telling her the truth. Lilly and Miley hatch a plan to get Oliver back but only to find out that he was practicing saying "I love you" so he could say it to Lilly. They both say that they love each other in the end of the episode. (It is mentioned in this episode that neither Oliver nor Miley have romantic feelings for each other). However, Oliver did used to have romantic feelings towards Hannah Montana before he knew she was Miley. Miley,at first, didn't want to tell him who she was, just incase he had romantic feelings for her as Miley, but when she eventually told him, he saw her as just a friend.

Leslie "Jake" Ryan (played by Cody Linley): Jake is a famous television star. Miley and Jake meet when he briefly attends Seaview Middle School. Jake is attracted to Miley because she is the only person at school who is not starstruck by his arrival. Miley at first denies having feelings for him, but she tries to "make him jealous" by using another guy. It works in a fortunate result of her and Jake kissing, but Jake tells Miley he has to go shoot a movie in Romania and she stands him up. Jake then reappears in "Achy Jakey Heart" Part 1 and tries to win Miley back. She decides to give him a chance, after Jake revealing feelings for her on live national TV. Miley soon tells Jake that she's Hannah Montana, because Jake told his secret to Miley. Jake tries to play normal like Miley, but when he cannot handle the pressure of not getting what he wants, the two decide to be just friends, although it is revealed to the audience in "Jake... Another Piece of My Heart," that both Jake and Miley still have feelings for each other, but neither one is willing to admit it. In "He Could Be The One", Miley chooses Jake over Jesse (her guitarist) because they have so much history and she believes he could be the one. They then officially start dating. It was unknown whether they were still together or not because Jake had never been seen or mentioned since the episode "He could be the one". However,in the season 4 episode "California Screamin" it is implied that the two are still together as Miley talks about Jake quite often in the episode suggesting that they haven't broken up. In the season 4 episode "It's the End of Jake As We Know It" Oliver gets a picture texted to his phone of Jake cheating on Miley, so Miley beats Jake up on the taping of a Christmas special with guest star Sheryl Crow. This ends their relationship for good.

Travis Brody (played by Lucas Till): Travis is a childhood friend from Tennessee. It is said in the movie that they both used to like each other when they were younger. The two become reacquainted during Miley's return to Tennessee in Hannah Montana: The Movie. He discovers that Miley is Hannah Montana and the two kiss, assuming that they get together. However, even though the movie does not show it, it is implied that they broke up due to the fact that Miley went back to California and their relationship would not work long distance. Also, he is not mentioned during the episodes following the movie.

Jesse (played by Drew Roy): Is a part of Hannah's band in episode "He Could Be The One". Hannah pretends to like Jesse, so that Robby will be thankful of Jake. But she starts to have real feelings for him. Miley then has to listen to her heart and chose the guy who could "be the one." She ends up choosing Jake over Jesse. In the season 4 episode "Been Here All Along", She goes out on a date with Jesse (as Miley), but gets angry when he took a phone call from his father, since she blow off her "father- daughter day" with her dad, but when Jesse tells her that he took the call because his dad is stationed in Afghanistan and they don't get to talk often, Miley is inspired to hold a concert as Hannah for military families. In another episode in the 4th season Miley reveals to Jesse that she is Hannah. Yet to her surprise he already knows. Jesse can't take the pressure of dating Hannah and Miley and ends it with Miley. In the end of the episode, Jesse comes back to Miley and then she reveals her secret to the whole world.

Music[link]

Although she never plays instruments while performing as Hannah, Miley can play the piano and the guitar. She owns several acoustic and electric guitars, including a black strat copy she nicknamed "Whammy Bar Wally"^[13] and a pink sparkle electric acoustic Stardust Series Daisy Rock guitar.^[14] In Hannah Montana: The Movie, Miley plays a custom built Gibson acoustic guitar.

While her father is her main songwriter, Miley has written a few of her own songs. In "She's a Supersneak," Miley writes the song "I Miss You" about her mother after learning her father is dating another woman. (In real life, the song was written by Miley Cyrus for her grandfather Ron Cyrus.) In Hannah Montana: The Movie, Stewart writes "Butterfly Fly Away" and "The Climb". Stewart wrote "Butterfly Fly Away" after an argument with Travis (Till) and her dad breaking off his relationship for her. In the story, "The Climb" began when she was in the hen house writing. Travis (Till) told her that the song didn't represent who she is or how she feels. Later in a concert, she performs it live revealing the entire song with its new lyrics. Then, in the episode "He Could Be the One" Miley wrote a song called "I'm Just Having Fun". While practicing with her band, Miley decided the song needed lyrical innovation and revamping. Then, when she was mad at her father; Miley altered the lyrics to a "I don't care what you say, I don't care what you say, just 'cause your my daddy doesn't mean you get it your way". She decided to give up on the song, but later with her guitar player she finally made it into "He Could Be the One", inspired by Jake (Cody Linley)and Jesse ( her guitar player ). In the 4th season, Miley writes a bunch of new songs that are heard and played throughout the season. She made a song with Iyaz called "Gonna Get This".

Hannah Montana[link]

Miley Cyrus in a wig performing live as Hannah Montana during her Best of Both Worlds Tour.

Hannah Montana is Miley Stewart's alter ego. The character was originally going to be named Alexis Texas, but the name was changed to Hannah Montana.^[15][16] Hannah exists as a secret identity, an extremely popular and influential worldwide popstar. Hannah's many fans are not aware that she is really just a normal teenage girl, and Miley tries to keep her two lives separate from each other.

Appearance[link]

Hannah's blonde wig is the primary difference between her and the brunette Miley, although Hannah also wears more extravagant clothes, make-up, and sometimes large sunglasses. In the Hannah Montana story, the famous blonde wig was picked out for Miley by Roxy.^[17] (In real life, the wig was not chosen until the second episode. The original wig seen in the pilot was a slightly different style.) Miley Stewart also mentions that she intentionally patterned Hannah's look after her godmother Dolly Parton.^[18]

Miley previously experienced an image crisis in "Yet Another Side of Me" in which she grew concerned that Hannah's look might become outdated. After considering a "Techno Hannah," "Half-Dolla Hannah," (Hip hop) and the "Anti-Hannah," (Grunge) Miley decides that her fans like her for who she is.

Starting in the third season, Hannah's look changes slightly. Her wig is shorter and wavy and her fashion changes as well. This is discussed on the DVD Keeping It Real in the bonus feature "Miley's Makeover – Hannah Gets a New Look." Cyrus and her team describe the new look as an "'80s flavored style with the glitz and glam of modern fashion." It is also revealed in Super(stitious) Girl, as part of Wizards on Deck With Hannah Montana, that she wears a single pink glove during concerts and it is also shown in music videos like It's All Right Here and Let's Get Crazy that she does. It symbolizes how Hannah Montana is growing up as well. In season 4, she gets a new wig that's long again but curlier.

Career[link]

Hannah Montana's music career is very successful although there have been a few slips. In the pilot episode she is said to be continuing a "smash tour" which was being sold out. In "Yet Another Side of Me," Robby says that he has written 15 straight number ones for her. However, he may have been exaggerating since in "Miley Hurt the Feelings of the Radio Star" he says he has written 14 number ones for her.^[19] Hannah also wins several awards including a Silver Boot "Booty" award for best country pop crossover with the song "True Friend,"^[20] and an International Music Award for Female Artist of the Year.^[21] She is also honored with her own diamond on the Hollywood Parade of Diamonds, a parody of the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[22] She also sings for the Queen of England and the President of the United States (President Martinez in a crossover episode and mentioned performing for President Obama and Sasha and Malia Obama in season 4's "Hannah Montana to the Principal's Office"). Hannah's greatest rival is fellow pop star Mikayla (Selena Gomez) who is determined to steal Hannah's fans.^[23]

Beyond her music career, Hannah also does some acting. She guest stars on the television show Zombie High as Zaronda, Princess of the Undead. Jake Ryan's character saves Zaronda from the portal to the underworld.^[24] Hannah later stars in her own feature film, Rob Reiner's Indiana Joannie and the Curse of the Golden Cobra, alongside Chace Crawford.^[25] Hannah also endorses perfume and skin care products.^[26]

As a well known celebrity, Hannah makes regular appearances on talk shows and attends glamorous parties. Despite being fictional, Hannah knows many real life celebrities, including some who are friends of Miley Cyrus, such as Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers.

Discography[link]

• Hannah Montana (2006)
• Hannah Montana 2 (2007)
• Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)
• Hannah Montana 3 (2009)
• Hannah Montana Forever (2010)

Live albums

• Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008) – CD + DVD

Purpose[link]

Miley has several reasons for creating Hannah. She is afraid that if the kids at school discover she is famous they won't treat her the same.^[27] While she enjoys the attention of her fame as Hannah, she equally enjoys the option of "stepping out" of her role.^[28] Miley also values her privacy and doesn't want fans or paparazzi photographers mobbing her when she goes out in public. In this way, Hannah Montana presents a unique inversion of typical celebrity experiences. While most celebrities become famous as themselves and later need disguises to not be noticed in public, Hannah Montana became famous while in disguise, and now has the freedom to be in public as herself.

As a secondary benefit, Miley also sometimes uses Hannah for specific purposes such as spying.^[29] She also uses Hannah in other ways. In "Money for Nothing, Guilt for Free," Hannah raises money for a school charity drive in which Miley is competing. In "Bye Bye, Ball," Hannah performs at a restaurant in order to get a baseball autographed for Jackson. And in "Ready, Set, Don't Drive," Hannah obtains a drivers license after Miley fails the test. Hannah also sometimes tries to use her dual personality as an excuse. For example, in "You Gotta Not Fight for Your Right to Party," Miley asks Robby to only ground Miley, not Hannah, because "Hannah didn't do anything wrong."

Beyond the show[link]

Hannah Montana as a character has found fame beyond the television show, primarily as a recording artist and music performer. Three of the seven released soundtracks (Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus, and Hannah Montana: The Movie) topped the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.^[30] From September 2006 to October 2006, she performed several songs from Hannah Montana during the The Party's Just Begun Tour as an opening act for The Cheetah Girls. Then, from October 2007 to January 2008, Miley Cyrus performed in a successful concert tour as Hannah Montana. The tour, called the Best of Both Worlds Tour, became a classic example of life imitating art as Hannah Montana's fictional popularity seen in the television show became a real-life fan base which bought out every concert. The popularity of Hannah Montana has also given Miley Cyrus the opportunity to become a pop star in her own right.

Hannah also appears in Hannah Montana: The Movie, the Hannah Montana book series, and two other Disney Channel shows in cameo appearances. The character appeared in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody episode "That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana" along with Raven Baxter, and The Suite Life on Deck episode "Wizards on Deck With Hannah Montana" which also includes characters from Wizards of Waverly Place. (Although the characters from Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana never interact)

Miley's secret[link]

Keeping Miley's secret involves a two sided effort. As Hannah, she must keep her fans unaware that she is really a normal kid, and as Miley, she must keep her friends unaware that she is really Hannah Montana. In interviews, Miley Cyrus spoke of the implausibility of being able to keep a secret such as Miley and her family do in the show in a world of intense media scrutiny. The show however, remains workable primarily based on suspension of disbelief.

In the show, three other people (Robby, Lilly, and Oliver) also wear disguises when around Hannah to prevent anyone from drawing a connection to Miley (Jackson is himself, only as a childhood friend). Hannah also typically swaps limos as she leaves concert venues to keep the paparazzi from following her home.^[31] Miley must also rely on the silence of the people who know her secret. These include her family members, Robby, Jackson, Mammaw Ruthie, Aunt Dolly, Uncle Earl and Aunt Pearl, her cousin Luann, her friends Lilly Truscott and her parents, Oliver Oken and his mother, Jake Ryan, Farmine and Roxy, as well as Officer Diaria and his daughter Kelsey, Siena and the President of the United States. (This group grows exponentially at the end of Hannah Montana: The Movie.)

Despite these careful efforts, her father seems to enjoy writing Hannah songs which explicitly speak of her double life, such as "The Best of Both Worlds," "Just Like You," "The Other Side of Me," "Rock Star," "Old Blue Jeans," "Just a Girl," "Supergirl," and "Ordinary Girl." In frustration of this, Miley once complained "You might as well tattoo 'I'm really Miley Stewart' on my forehead!"^[13] Also, in the episode Get Down Study-udy-udy, Rico has almost discovered Miley's secret according to the "Bone Dance" which was created by Miley by rewritting the lyrics of "Nobody's Perfect" and her voice singing it

In Hannah Montana: The Movie, Hannah reveals herself as Miley during a concert in Crowley Corners, Tennessee,(her hometown) but her fans do not want her to stop being Hannah, and so they promise to keep her secret. This event is actually mentioned in For (Give) a Little Bit during an argument between Miley and Jackson, meaning that the movie would fit right in the middle of season 3 as if it were a part of the season.

Near the end of the series, in I'll Always Remember You, Miley reveals her secret on The Jay Leno Show by taking off her wig and singing a song called "Wherever I Go" as Miley. She gets a standing ovation and the episode ends with Miley smiling. Lilly and Robby also take off their disguises.

References[link]

This Awards and achievements succession box's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page. (April 2012)

Miley Cyrus
Cyrus at the 2012 People's Choice Awards
Background information
Birth name	Destiny Hope Cyrus
Born	(1992-11-23) November 23, 1992 (age 19) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.[1]
Genres	Pop,[2] country pop, dance, electropop, teen pop
Occupations	Actress, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Walt Disney, Hollywood
Associated acts	Hannah Montana, Billy Ray Cyrus, Demi Lovato
Website	MileyCyrus.com Signature of Miley Cyrus.

Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus; November 23, 1992) is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana.

Cyrus recorded music for the soundtracks, Hannah Montana (2006) and Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), released by Walt Disney Records. With the success of the Hannah Montana franchise she established herself as a teen idol. In 2007, Cyrus signed to Hollywood Records to pursue a solo career. She embarked upon the Best of Both Worlds Tour the same year, in which she performed as both herself and in character as Hannah Montana. The tour was eventually turned into a high-grossing concert film titled Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008). In July 2008, Cyrus released her first solo album, Breakout (2008), which was commercially successful.

She began her foray into film by providing the voice of "Penny" in the animated film Bolt (2008). Cyrus earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for her performance of Bolt's theme song, "I Thought I Lost You". She also reprised her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). The Hannah Montana: The Movie' soundtrack introduced her to new audiences within country and adult contemporary markets.

She began to cultivate an adult image in 2009 with the release of The Time of Our Lives (2009), an extended play which presented a more mainstream pop sound, and by filming The Last Song (2010), a coming-of-age drama film. The former included Cyrus's best-selling single, "Party in the U.S.A." (2009). A studio album titled Can't Be Tamed was released in 2010 and presents a new dance-pop sound. The music video and lyrics of the album's lead single, "Can't Be Tamed", portrays a more sexualized image for the entertainer. Cyrus ranked number thirteen on Forbes' 2010 Celebrity 100.^[3] For the 2011 Guinness World Records, she was named the “Most Charted Teenager” following her 29th US Billboard Hot 100 chart entry on November 7, 2009 with “Party in the USA”.^[4]

Early life[link]

Cyrus at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Cyrus was born on November 23, 1992, in Nashville, Tennessee, to Letitia Jean "Tish"^[5] (née Finley) and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus.^[6][7] Her parents named her Destiny Hope because they believed that she would accomplish great things with her life. They gave her the nickname "Smiley", which was later shortened to "Miley", because she smiled so often as a baby.^[8] Cyrus suffers from a mild heart condition causing tachycardia which, though not dangerous, is often bothersome.^[9]

Against the wishes of her father's record company,^[10] Cyrus's parents secretly married a year after Cyrus's birth on December 28, 1993.^[7][11] Tish had two children from a previous relationship: Trace and Brandi. Billy Ray adopted Trace and Brandi when they were young.^[12] She has a half-brother, Christopher Cody, Billy Ray's son from a brief relationship, born the same year as Miley; he grew up with his mother in South Carolina.^[10] Tish and Billy Ray had two more children, Braison and Noah. Cyrus's godmother is entertainer Dolly Parton.^[13] Cyrus was very close to her paternal grandfather, Democratic politician Ronald Ray Cyrus.^[14] Cyrus has paid her grandfather several tributes since his death in 2006, including eventually changing her middle name to "Ray".^[15] According to Cyrus's father, "A lot of people say Miley changed her name to Miley Ray because of Billy Ray, but that's not true. She did that in honor of my dad, because the two of them just loved each other to pieces."^[9]

Cyrus grew up on a 500-acre (2.0 km²) farm in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville,^[16] and attended Heritage Elementary School.^[17] She was raised Christian and was baptized in a Southern Baptist church prior to moving to Hollywood in 2005. She attended church regularly while growing up and wore a purity ring.^[18] Several of Cyrus's siblings also eventually entered the entertainment business: Trace became a vocalist and guitarist for the electronic pop band Metro Station,^[19] Noah became an actress, and Brandi became a guitarist.^[20]

Career[link]

2001–05: Career beginnings[link]

In 2001, when Cyrus was eight, she and her family moved to Toronto, Canada while her father filmed the television series Doc.^[21] Cyrus said watching her father film the show inspired her to pursue acting. After Billy Ray took her to see a 2001 Mirvish production of Mamma Mia! at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Cyrus grabbed his arm and told him, "This is what I want to do, daddy. I want to be an actress."^[22] She began taking singing and acting classes at the Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto.^[23] In her first role, Cyrus played a girl named Kylie on Doc.^[8] In 2003, Cyrus was credited under her birth name for her role as "Young Ruthie" in Tim Burton's Big Fish.^[24]

At age 11, Cyrus learned about the casting for what became Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel children's television series about a school girl with a secret double life as a teen pop star. Cyrus sent in a tape auditioning for the show's best friend role, but received a call asking her to audition for the lead, "Chloe Stewart".^[1] After sending in a new tape and flying to Hollywood for further auditions,^[25] Cyrus was told that she was too young and too small for the part.^[25][26] However, her persistence and ability to sing in addition to act led the show's producers to invite her back for further auditions. Cyrus eventually received the lead, renamed "Miley Stewart" after herself, at the age of twelve.^[25] During this time, she also auditioned with Taylor Lautner for the feature film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D and it came down to her and another actress, but Cyrus started doing Hannah Montana instead.^[27]

As Cyrus's career took off, Tish Cyrus made several critical decisions regarding her daughter's representation. She signed Cyrus with Mitchell Gossett, director of the youth division at Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty. Gossett, who specializes in creating child stars, had arranged for Cyrus's auditions for Hannah Montana and is credited with "discovering" her.^[28][29] For Cyrus's music career, Tish followed the advice of Dolly Parton, Cyrus's godmother and a singer herself, and signed Cyrus with Jason Morey of Morey Management Group. "Dolly said the Moreys are people you can trust around your daughter," Tish Cyrus recalls, "and she said they have good morals, which is not always the case in this business."^[30] According to trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter, Parton's advice was "the best advice [Tish] could [have gotten] on who should rep her daughter."^[30] Tish also recruited Billy Ray's business manager to manage her daughter's finances. Tish herself continues to co-manage or produce many of Cyrus's career decisions.^[30] For her education, Cyrus enrolled at Options for Youth Charter Schools^[31] and studied with a private tutor on the set of her television show.^[32]

[edit] 2006–07: Hannah Montana and Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus

Cyrus performing on the Best of Both Worlds Tour

Hannah Montana became an instant hit and propelled Cyrus to teen idol status, according to The Daily Telegraph.^[24] The series premiered on March 26, 2006, to the largest audience ever for a Disney Channel show^[33] and soon became one of the highest-rated series on basic cable, elevating Cyrus's wealth and fame along with it.^[34] Time magazine reports that Cyrus's "phenom[enal]" success is due partially to her talent and partially to "Disney learning to use its vast, multimedia holdings" and market Cyrus and Hannah Montana appropriately.^[35] Cyrus eventually became the first artist to have deals in television, film, consumer products, and music within The Walt Disney Company.^[28]

The first single was "The Best of Both Worlds", the theme song to Hannah Montana, which was released on March 28, 2006.^[36] "The Best of Both Worlds" is credited to "Hannah Montana", the pop star Cyrus portrays on the series by the same name. As with other songs credited to Montana, Cyrus typically dressed as the character when performing the song live.^[37] Cyrus's first release under her own name was a cover of James Baskett's "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", released on April 4, 2006, on the fourth edition of DisneyMania.^[38] Dressed as Hannah Montana, Cyrus opened for The Cheetah Girls on twenty dates of their The Party's Just Begun Tour, beginning on September 15, 2006.^[39] On October 24 of same year, Walt Disney Records released the first Hannah Montana soundtrack. Of the nine tracks on the soundtrack performed by Cyrus, eight were credited to "Hannah Montana" and one, a duet with her father titled "I Learned from You", was credited to Cyrus as herself. The album peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.^[40]

Cyrus and her father, Billy Ray, performing "Ready, Set, Don't Go" at the Kids' Inaugural: "We Are the Future." – January 19, 2009; Washington D.C.

The second season of Hannah Montana premiered on April 23, 2007, and ran until October 12, 2008.^[41] Cyrus signed a four-album deal with Disney-owned Hollywood Records and, on June 26, 2007, released a double-disc album. The first disc was the soundtrack to the second season of Hannah Montana, while the second, titled Meet Miley Cyrus, was Cyrus's debut album credited to her own name. The double-disc album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200^[42] and was later certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[43] Meet Miley Cyrus generated "See You Again", Cyrus's first single to be released under her own name and her first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.^[44] In fall 2007, Cyrus launched her first tour, the Best of Both Worlds Tour, to promote Meet Miley Cyrus and the Hannah Montana soundtracks. With the Jonas Brothers, Aly & AJ, and Everlife as her opening acts, Cyrus toured from October 17, 2007, to January 31, 2008, with stops in the U.S. and Canada.^[45] Tickets sold out in minutes and were scalped for up to $2,500 and an average of $214, well above their $26–$65 face value.^[46] A Ticketmaster official commented, "Hell hath no fury like the parent of a child throwing a tantrum. People who have been in this business for a long time are watching what's happening, and they say there hasn't been a demand of this level or intensity since The Beatles or Elvis."^[47]

[edit] 2008–09: Breakout, transitions and film career launch

Cyrus at 2008 MTV Video Music Awards

After the end of the Best of Both Worlds Tour in January 2008, Walt Disney Pictures released Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, a 3D concert film of the tour, on February 1, 2008, for what was expected to be a one-week run. The film earned over $31 million^[48] at the box-office and an average of $42,000 per theater, twice the expected total, convincing Disney executives to extend the release for an indefinite run. "We don't want to turn away kids from the theaters who couldn't get into the concerts," said Chuck Viane, Disney's chief of distribution.^[49] The film's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records/Hollywood Records on March 11, 2008, and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.^[50]

On July 22, 2008, Cyrus released her second studio album under her own name, titled Breakout. Cyrus said Breakout was inspired by "what's been going on in my life in the past year."^[51] Cyrus co-wrote eight out of twelve songs on the album.^[51] "Songwriting is what I really want to do with my life forever, [...] I just hope this record showcases that, more than anything, I'm a writer."^[52] The album debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart^[53] and its lead single, "7 Things", peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[54][55] She hosted the 2008 CMT Music Awards with her father in April^[56] and the 2008 Teen Choice Awards by herself in August.^[57] Cyrus provided the voice of Penny in the 2008 computer-animated film Bolt, which was released on November 21, 2008, to critical acclaim.^[58] Cyrus also co-wrote and recorded the song "I Thought I Lost You" as a duet with John Travolta for the film, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.^[59] In September 2009, she participated in the charity single "Just Stand Up!" in support of the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer^[60] and in the City of Hope Benefit Concert in support of cancer research and training programs.^[61] She also became involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an environmentalist group, for which she recorded the charity single "Send It On" along with several other Disney Channel stars.^[62]

Cyrus performing on the Wonder World Tour

Cyrus had already begun transitioning to a more grown-up image in late 2008, when her representatives negotiated a deal for novelist Nicholas Sparks to write the screenplay and novel basis for a film that would serve as a star vehicle for Cyrus by introducing her to audiences older than the young fans she had gained through Hannah Montana.^[63] Sparks and co-writer Jeff Van Wie developed The Last Song.^[63] It was important to Cyrus that she not be type cast as a singer: "I didn't want to be a singer in another film. I don't want to do that anymore. You have no idea how many musicals show up on my door. I want to do something a little more serious."^[64] In March 2009, Cyrus published Miles to Go, a memoir co-written by Hilary Liftin chronicling her life through age sixteen.^[65] Cyrus starred as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in Hannah Montana: The Movie, released April 10, 2009. Both the film and its soundtrack, which contained twelve songs performed by Cyrus,^[66] achieved commercial success.^[67][68] The soundtrack's lead single, "The Climb", became a Top 40 hit in twelve countries^[69] and introduced Cyrus to listeners outside her typical teen pop audience.^[70] Cyrus had considered ending Hannah Montana after its third season, which finished production on June 5, 2009,^[71] but Disney retained and exercised its option for a fourth season.^[72]

Production on The Last Song lasted from June 15, 2009, to August 18, 2009.^[73] In between, Cyrus launched the third Hannah Montana soundtrack, recorded the extended play The Time of Our Lives (EP), and released the EP's lead single, "Party in the U.S.A."^[74] Cyrus said The Time of Our Lives "is a transitioning album. [...] really to introduce people to what I want my next record to sound like and with time I will be able to do that a little more."^[75] "Party in the U.S.A." debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for her best-ever ranking on the chart.^[76] The Time of Our Lives was released in conjunction with a clothing line co-designed by Cyrus and Max Azria for Walmart.^[77]

From September 14, 2009, to December 29, 2010, Cyrus toured on her Wonder World Tour to promote Breakout and The Time of Our Lives.^{[citation needed]} On December 7, 2009, Cyrus performed for Queen Elizabeth II and numerous other members of the British Royal Family at the Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool, North West England.^[78]

[edit] 2010–2011: Can't Be Tamed, focus on film career, and Gypsy Heart Tour

Cyrus at 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards soundcheck.

Production on the fourth and final season of Hannah Montana began on January 18, 2010.^[79] In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Cyrus appeared on the charity singles "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti" and "Everybody Hurts".^[80][81] Her third studio album, Can't Be Tamed, was released on June 21, 2010. The album's first single is the title track, "Can't Be Tamed". The single was released for sale on May 18, 2010, and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight.^[82] Cyrus's costumes and dances while promoting Can't Be Tamed were also considerably more provocative than previous performances, arousing media criticism.^[83] After releasing the album, Cyrus intends to take a break from the music industry in order to focus on her film career.^[84] She commented, "I've not taken, like, acting lessons or anything, but it doesn't mean I don't need to because I'm sure I do [...] I'm probably going to go book an acting coach."^[85] Cyrus has also decided to opt out of college for the same reason, saying "I'm a firm believer that you can go back at any age you want, because my Grandma went back to college at 62 [...] For right now, I really want to focus on my career. I've worked hard to get to where I am now, and I want to enjoy it while it lasts."^[86][87][88]

Cyrus starred in The Last Song, which was released on March 31, 2010, and received generally poor reviews, as did Cyrus's performance.^[89] Nonetheless, the film was commercially successful, grossing more than $88 million at the worldwide box office.^[90] According to box-office analyst Exhibitor Relations, the film marked "a successful transition to adult roles for Miley Cyrus."^[91] The fourth and final season of Hannah Montana began airing on Disney Channel on July 11, 2010, and was ended on January 16, 2011.^[92] Cyrus filmed two more films, LOL: Laughing Out Loud and So Undercover in 2010. In LOL, a remake of a 2008 French teen film of the same name, Cyrus plays "a daughter who is involved with all the wrong kids, doing drugs, failing school, but [...whose] mother has her on this perfect pedestal" and says "[She] just fell in love with the story."^[93] Cyrus' character loses her virginity, smokes cannabis, gets wasted and kisses two girlfriends on the lips.^[94] She will also star in So Undercover, an action comedy film. Cyrus will play the part of "a tough, street-smart private eye hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority."^[95] She learned street fighting for the role.^[95]

Despite her earlier announcement that she'd be focusing more on acting in the future, in February 2011, Cyrus confirmed she had no films lineup and was going to go on tour.^[96] On April 29, 2011, Cyrus embarked on her international Gypsy Heart Tour in South America and ended the tour on July 2, 2011, in Australia. Cyrus hosted Saturday Night Live on March 5, 2011, where she performed in several sketches. She also sang a brief song about her several controversies, such as the bong incident, the photo of her friend and she eating a Twizzler, and the "pole dance" on a hotel pole at the Teen Choice Awards, stating "I'm sorry that I'm not perfect."^[97][98] In March 2011, father Billy Ray Cyrus confirmed on talk show, The View, that Cyrus had been in talks with producer Dr. Luke on a new album.^[99] In July 2011, it was announced that she would record her fourth studio album and she has no plans to sign onto any other film projects.^[100] However, it was reported on August 2, 2011, by Contact Music that Cyrus has signed on to star in a comedy in which she plays a woman who broke a promise to God.^[101]

Cyrus released on YouTube a remix of her song "Liberty Walk" in November 2011, dedicated to the Occupy movement, which she referred to as, "the thousands of people who are standing up for what they believe in."^[102]

[edit] 2012–present: LOL, So Undercover, and focus on music career