What The Cast Of Hannah Montana Looks Like Today
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The classic kids' sitcom Hannah Montana gave Disney Channel fans the best of both worlds for four whole seasons. The show combined side-splitting comedy with incredibly catchy songs, quickly becoming a favorite for tweens everywhere. Since the series finale in 2011, the show's fans have grown up, and its famous cast members have taken their careers to some interesting places. Here's what the cast of Hannah Montana is up to today.
Miley Cyrus (Miley/Hannah)
Miley Cyrus was iconic as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana, but after she ended her run on the show, she quickly distanced herself from her Disney image to pursue a much edgier music career of her own.
The risque lyrics on Cyrus' 2010 album, Can't Be Tamed, kicked up some controversy, and Cyrus fanned the flames by cutting off her long hair and dying it blonde. She dug even deeper into her new image with the 2013 album Bangerz. Success as a musician helped Cyrus land a now infamous gig hosting the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, where she delivered the "twerk seen 'round the world" and announced her experimental album Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz. She joined The Voice as an adviser in Season 10 and as a judge for Season 11 and Season 13. She released a more traditional album titled Younger Now in 2017.
The pop star hasn't completely given up on acting. After Hannah Montana, she starred in the dramedy LOL and the action comedy So Undercover, in addition to making guest appearances on Two and a Half Men. She also played herself in the Seth Rogen comedy The Night Before and starred in Woody Allen's Crisis in Six Scenes for Amazon. Cyrus also lent her voice to the computer mainframe in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Shortly before Hannah Montana ended, Cyrus starred in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Last Song alongside Australian actor Liam Hemsworth, who would go on to become her on-again, off-again boyfriend and rumored fiancé. Now that's a love story.
Moises Arias (Rico)
As the annoying manager at Rico's Surf Shop, Moises Arias appeared throughout the entirety of Hannah Montana and reprised his role in the 2009 movie.
During his time on the show, Arias became a frequent fixture on the Disney channel, guest starring on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Wizards of Waverly Place and lending his voice to Phineas and Ferb. After the show wrapped, he guest starred on the NBC series Love Bites and appeared opposite Snoop Dogg in We the Party. He had a leading role in the coming-of-age dramedy The Kings of Summer and booked a recurring guest role on ABC's long-running sitcom The Middle.
Arias' post-Hannah Montana career really took off in 2013, when he voiced a character in Despicable Me 2 and played one of the commanders of the Salamander Army in the action sci-fi film Ender's Game. Although the latter was not the franchise launcher it was meant to be, it still made $125.5 million at the worldwide box office.
Two years later, Arias appeared in the historic biopic The Stanford Prison Experiment, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. He landed a role in the big screen action flick Ben-Hur and appeared on Amazon's comedy series Jean-Claude Van Johnson. He also had a role in Pitch Perfect 3 as Beca's not-so-great client, surprising fans who found him to be unrecognizable given the vast change in his appearance since his days as Rico (via J-14).
In his free time, Arias photographs his famous friends, including Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Justin Bieber, and Willow and Jaden Smith.
Mitchel Musso (Oliver)
Mitchel Musso played Miley's pal Oliver throughout Hannah Montana's run, although he was only a guest star on the final season due to his schedule filming the Disney XD series Pair of Kings.
Musso continued to work with the Disney Channel after Hannah Montana, voicing Jeremy Jordan on Phineas and Ferb and by hosting the reality series PrankStars. He was dropped from Pair of Kings after Season 2, a decision reportedly prompted by his DUI arrest in 2011. Musso was sentenced 36 months of informal probation.
This actor's post-Disney has been limited, although he did star in the thriller Sins of Our Youth, the comedy Characterz, and the horror film The Sand.
At the time of this writing, Musso is dating nursing student Haley Rome (via J-14). He frequently shares pics with her on his social media pages, along with reunion snaps featuring his Hannah Montana co-stars.
Emily Osment (Lilly)
Emily Osment was already a well-known actress when she signed on to play Miley's best friend, Lilly, in Hannah Montana.
The multi-talented Osment was featured in a number of different Disney Channel shows during the Hannah Montana's run, including Jonas and The Suite Life on Deck, as well as the network's film Dadnapped. She also released multiple music videos related to her Disney Channel properties along with the 2009 E.P. All the Right Wrongs and her 2010 debut album Fight or Flight.
In 2011, Osment starred in the eerie ABC Family film Cyberbully. After guest starring on Two and a Half Men and lending her voice to the Disney XD series Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Osment landed a lead role in the Crackle web series Cleaners, which ran for two seasons. She next starred in the Lifetime thriller A Daughter's Nightmare.
In 2014, Osment was finally given the chance to lead her own series, ABC Family's (and later Freeform's) cooking dramedy Young and Hungry. The show has earned her two Teen Choice Award nominations. During her time on the series, she also lent her voice to various characters on Family Guy, had a buzzy guest starring role as the ill-fated Jodi on CBS' Mom. Osment also has a role in Chuck Lorre's upcoming Netflix comedy The Kominsky Method.
Cody Linley (Jake)
Cody Linley stole (and broke) many viewers' hearts as Miley's BF Jake. After wrapping Hannah Montana, Linley appeared in the drama The Playroom, the family flick My Dog the Champion, and played the title character in 2014's Hoovey. He also guest starred on two episodes of ABC Family's Melissa and Joey.
Linley is best known for his fourth place finish on Dancing with the Stars in Season 7 and for his appearance in SyFy's wildly popular monster movies Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming.
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle (Ashley)
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle's character, Ashley, may not have been the smartest student at Seaview High, but in real life, de Tagle has wisely established a successful career in the entertainment industry.
The actress was a Disney Channel staple throughout her early years and put her musical talents to good use in the 2009 remake of Fame as well as the 2011 Broadway revival of Godspell. In 2013, she booked a guest appearance on ABC Family's Baby Daddy and appeared in the shorts The Worst People at a Party and Long Distance.
Nowadays, de Tagle films make-up tutorials for her YouTube channel Anna's Beauty Secrets.
Shanica Knowles (Amber)
Ashley's other half, Amber, was played by another musically talented singer and actress, Shanica Knowles, who had previously appeared on Nickelodeon's Unfabulous and in the DCOM Jump In!
After Hannah Montana, Knowles landed a guest role on Kathy Bates' Harry's Law; later that year, she had a recurring guest role on the MTV series Awkward. Knowles' other guest starring appearances include Melissa and Joey, Suburgatory, Real Husbands of Hollywood, and The Young and the Restless. She has appeared in the dramedy Sassy Pants, the Corbin Bleu-led drama Megachurch Murder, and the Lifetime biopic Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge, and Michel'le.
In 2012, Knowles was the face of Kenya Dolls, a line of African American dolls.
Jason Earles (Jackson)
Many Disney Channel fans were shocked to learn that Jason Earles, who played Miley's older brother Jackson, was actually much, much older than his fellow castmates. The actor was 29-years-old when he played a 16-year-old Jackson.
During his time on the show, Earles lent his voice to Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, The Most Popular Girls in School, and Fish Hooks.
Shortly after Hannah Montana wrapped, Earles landed a lead role on the Disney XD series Kickin' It, playing the leader of a martial arts academy. He later guest starred on the Hella-TV web series WTH: Welcome to Howler and guest starred on Disney Channel's Best Friends Whenever.
Earles has also been making moves in his personal life, bringing together many of his former Hannah Montana co-stars for a reunion at his August 2017 wedding to his "longtime love" Katie Drysen.
Tammin Sursok (Siena)
Tammin Sursok's Siena may have been a bit out of Jackson's league, but they still made a cute couple in Hannah Montana's final season.
Sursok went on to make a name for herself on another popular teen series, Pretty Little Liars, which ran from 2010 to 2017 on ABC Family/Freeform and featured Sursok as the mysterious Jenna Marshall. During her time on the series, Sursok also led the TV movies Bound and Babysitting, You May Now Kill the Bride, and Girlfriends of Christmas Past. She also released a single, titled "Say Something," with Joe Brooks in 2014.
Sursok has also made inroads behind the camera, producing and starring in the web series In Bed with Tammin and producing, writing, directing, and starring in the web series Aussie Girl, loosely based on her life. Aussie Girl was partially funded through a campaign on IndieGoGo and was last reported as being developed at the youth-oriented production studio Astronauts Wanted. Sursok is married and has a daughter, Phoenix Emmanuel.
Selena Gomez (Mikayla)
Pop star Selena Gomez got her start acting opposite then-BFF Demi Lovato on Barney and Friends, then guest starring on Disney Channel shows such as The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, followed by a starring role in Wizards of Waverly Place. Hers is a packed resume, yet it's still hard to forget her iconic guest appearances as rival pop star, Mikayla, in Hannah Montana.
Mikayla came along just as Gomez started her successful four season run on Wizards of Waverly Place. After Wizards ended, Gomez launched a more adult image with her appearance opposite James Franco in Spring Breakers. However, she still dabbled in kids' programming, lending her voice to Hotel Transylvania and later Hotel Transylvania 2. She also released her first solo album, Stars Dance, in 2013.
Nowadays, most of Gomez's efforts have been focused on her music, including her 2015 album Revival and her popular single "Bad Liar." She was also famously featured in pal Taylor Swift's wildly popular music video for "Bad Blood." In addition, Gomez is an executive producer on the Netflix breakout series 13 Reasons Why.
The busy star has had to press pause on her professional pursuits in recent years as she struggles with lupus. She successfully underwent a kidney transplant in September of 2017.
Billy Ray Cyrus (Robby Ray)
Billy Ray Cyrus played the dad to his real-life daughter on Hannah Montana. Like his character, he was already a well-established star in his own right. Before the show started, Cyrus had been nominated for four Grammy Awards, including record of the year for his song "Achy Breaky Heart."
Billy Ray continued to dabble in show biz after Hannah Montana, guest starring on two episodes of 90210, making a cameo appearance in Sharknado 2: The Second One, and leading the CMT series Still the King, which was canceled after two seasons.
Billy Ray still produces music, too. In 2017, he released his 15th studio album, Set the Record Straight. He also made headlines for his collaboration with Miley on a cover of Tom Petty's "Wildflowers," and he assisted his daughter on The Voice.
Dolly Parton (Aunt Dolly)
In real life, Dolly Parton is Miley's godmother, so it makes sense that the country superstar stopped by Hannah Montana to play a member of the family.
The Grammy-winning country legend was no newcomer to Hollywood, having starred in film classics such as 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias.
Since Hannah Montana, Parton has lent her voice to the animated comedy Gnomeo and Juliet, appeared in the musical dramedy Joyful Noise, and released four albums She received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2011 and won another Grammy in 2017 for her collaboration with Pentatonix on a remix of her famous song "Jolene," which she performed on The Voice alongside the band and Miley. Parton also worked with Miley on "Rainbowland," a song on the latter's 2017 album.