Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Hannah Montana?

From the moment she first appeared on television screens in 2006, there was no question that Hannah Montana would become one of the best Disney Channel characters of all time. For four seasons, children across the world excitedly followed the double life of Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), an average high school girl who concealed a secret identity as a blonde global pop icon. Grounding her wild life with guidance from her father (Billy Ray Cyrus) and the support of her friends Lily (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchel Musso), she struggled to pursue her musical dreams while protecting the normal life she loves so much.

Nearly 15 years after the series finale aired in January of 2011, we can't help but wonder what the stars of the series are up to, especially since many of them have had the chance to experience "The Best of Both Worlds" — that is, life before and after being a Disney Channel star. While some have remained part of the network's DNA, others have gone on to establish themselves as major recording artists, star in independent films and prestige science fiction series, or lead some of the most popular contemporary sitcoms of the last decade.

Character: Various cameos

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 7, "It's a Mannequin's World" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 7, "Love That Lets Go" (2010)

Noah Cyrus — the kid sister of Hannah Montana herself, Miley Cyrus — appeared in seven episodes of the Disney Channel series, usually playing a little girl who mocks Miley at a critical moment in the story. She also had a cameo in "Hannah Montana: The Movie" as one of the dancers in the "Hoedown Throwdown" sequence. During the course of the series, she was cast to voice the title role in Studio Ghibli's animated film "Ponyo", which followed the unlikely friendship between a talking fish (Noah) and the human boy who takes care of her (voiced by fellow legacy Disney star Frankie Jonas).

Aspiring to the same musical success as her sister and father, Billy Ray Cyrus, Noah focused primarily on her music career after wrapping up her commitments to "Ponyo" and "Hannah Montana." She released several singles throughout the latter half of the 2010s, including "Make Me (Cry)" and "Again" (featuring the late XXXTentacion), before releasing her debut EP "Good Cry" with Columbia Records in 2018. She followed this up with "The End of Everything" in 2020 (a sophomore EP that was met with minimal buzz but favorable reviews) and finally released her first studio album, "The Hardest Part", in 2022. Blending the pop and country genres in a way reminiscent of her older sister's early work, it was an impressive first showing that garnered praise from the traditional music industry, including from established outlets like Rolling Stone, The Telegraph, and Variety.

Cyrus remains a presence on TV, although mostly in her capacity as a professional musician; she has even served as a guest mentor on "American Idol" (pictured above). She has proven willing to play the odd character here and there, including a role on Ryan Murphy's anthology spin-off series "American Horror Stories."

Character: Jake Ryan

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 14, "New Kid in School" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 5, "It's the End of Jake as We Know It" (2010)

It's been 15 years, and we're still not quite over the blatant character assassination suffered by Cody Linley's Jake Ryan during the final season of "Hannah Montana." Introduced as a romantic interest and clever dramatic foil for Hannah/Miley (being a famous movie star who outwardly relishes his singular, public life, but slowly develops a deeper sense of his true, inner self through his relationship with Miley), the series ultimately wrote him off by having him coldly cheat on Miley. It effectively torpedoes the character's career while conveniently leaving Miley open to pursue a relationship with the writers' favored romantic interest, Jesse (Drew Roy).

While Jake Ryan may have never recovered from this embarrassment, Linley appears to be doing just fine. After appearing as a contestant on Season 7 of "Dancing With the Stars" (notably partnered with Julianne Hough during the same season she had to be rushed to the ER due to a burst cyst), the actor had roles in several low-budget films like "The Playroom," "My Dog Champion," and "Hoovey," and guest-starred on the sitcom "Melissa and Joey." In 2016, he was cast as veteran pilot Matt Shepard in the TV movie "Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens," a sequel in the cult comedy horror series made for the Syfy network (pictured above — Linley replaced Chuck Hittinger, who played Matt in the original film). He reprised this role in the subsequent installment, "Sharknado 5: Global Swarming."

Character: Traci Van Horn

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 5, "It's My Party and I'll Lie if I Want To" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 3, Episode 21, "For (Give) a Little Bit" (2009)*

Hiromi "Romi" Dames recurred on "Hannah Montana" as Traci Van Horn, a stuck-up but well-connected figure in Hannah's social orbit who would routinely play a supporting role in the pop star's double life without ever knowing she was actually a normal high school girl. Chronologically, Traci was last seen throwing herself a spa-themed birthday party in the Season 3 episode "For (Give) a Little Bit," though Dames' last credited appearance on the series is the "lost" (re-cut) Season 2 episode "Uptight (Oliver's Alright)" (aka "No Sugar, Sugar").

Dames worked primarily as a voice actor after "Hannah Montana," notably voicing the fairy Musa in the Nickelodeon animated fantasy series "Winx Club" (and its various spin-off series and movies). She can also be heard in "Phineas and Ferb," "DC Superhero Girls" (as Lena Luthor), and "Star Wars: Visions" (playing Ochô in "Lop & Ochô", pictured above). In the video game world, Dames' work is even more prolific, with console warriors likely able to recognize her as Blue Moon in "Cyberpunk 2077."

Character: Amber Addison

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1, "Lily, Do You Want to Know a Secret?" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 13, "Wherever I Go" (2011)

Though they worshipped the ground Hannah Montana walked on, high school bullies Amber and Ashley would sooner step over Miley Stewart than give her a helping hand — that is, if they weren't the ones who pushed her down in the first place. This made it all the more amusing when they returned (after being largely absent for Seasons 3 and 4) for the series finale as Miley and Lily's college roommates — who, of course, now want to be Miley/Hannah's best friend.

Amber was played by Shanica Knowles (no relation to Beyonce Knowles), an actor who, at the time of her casting, was best known for recurring on the Nickelodeon series "Unfabulous." As her work on "Hannah Montana" was winding down after Season 2, Knowles was cast as a supporting character in the Disney Channel Original Movie "Jump In!" where she played Shauna Lewis, the best friend of Keke Palmer's Mary Thomas.

Throughout the 2010s, Knowles guest-starred on a handful of TV programs (such as "Awkward," "Harry's Law," and "Melissa and Joey") and had a brief stint on "The Young and the Restless" as Simone Burch. More recently, she has found a steady career starring in movies on Lifetime and appeared in the Freeform sequel to the cult family comedy "Life Size" (pictured above).

Character: Ashley Dewitt

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1, "Lily, Do You Want to Know a Secret?" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 13, "Wherever I Go" (2011)

The other half of the Amber and Ashley pair, Ashley Dewitt (Anna Maria Perez de Tagle) was right by Amber's side when they discovered who Hannah really was. Perez de Tagle's most memorable roles occurred during her time as part of the recurring cast of "Hannah Montana." In the Disney Channel original movie "Camp Rock" (effectively a straightforward star vehicle to pitch Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers as the network's new mainstream talent), she played Ella, a camper who associates herself with the exclusive, popular crowd infiltrated by Lovato's Mitchie. At the end of the first film, she breaks away from her too-cool bunkmates and enjoys a minor moment of redemption. The actor reprised her role in "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam."

Following the second film's release, she was cast in the ensemble of the 2011 Broadway revival of the musical "Godspell" (alongside her future maid of honor Uzo Aduba). Aside from appearing in the 2009 remake of "Fame," Perez de Tagle's non-Disney credits include guest-starring roles on the TV series "Baby Daddy" and The CW's "Charmed" reboot (pictured above). Her most recent role was in the 2020 movie "The Message."

Character: Rico Suave

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 5, "It's My Party and I'll Lie if I Want To" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 13, "Wherever I Go" (2011)

Moisés Arias was cast as Rico on "Hannah Montana" after guest-starring on an episode of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," and became one of the Disney Channel's favorite actors thereafter. In addition to being brought back for "Hannah Montana: The Movie," the network cast him in "Dadnapped," "Phineas and Ferb," and "Wizards of Waverly Place" (as the conscience of Jake T. Austin's Max Russo).

His acting career continued to grow following the end of "Hannah Montana," leading to roles in a variety of TV shows ranging from the sitcom "The Middle" to the Prime Video action-comedy "Jean-Claude Van Johnson." He also broke into the film world, appearing in "Ender's Game," "Despicable Me 2," "Pitch Perfect 3," and "The King of Staten Island." Arias recently landed his most high-profile role since the Disney series in Amazon's critically acclaimed "Fallout" TV adaptation (seen above), in which he stars alongside Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, and Kyle MacLachlan.

Character: Oliver Oken

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1, "Lily, Do You Want to Know a Secret?" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 13, "Wherever I Go" (2011)

While Mitchel Musso starred on "Hannah Montana" as Oliver Oken, one of Miley's closest friends and one of the only people in her life to know her secret, he also lent his voice to the equally popular Disney Channel animated series "Phineas and Ferb" (playing Jeremy, the frequently appearing crush of Ashley Tisdale's Candace).

In 2010, as "Hannah Montana" was coming to a close, Disney gave Musso his own series titled "Pair of Kings," in which he starred alongside "House of Payne" and "The Suite Life on Deck" alum Doc Shaw. The duo played two average American high schoolers who were taken to a remote island where they enjoyed a royal birthright. In 2011, he was also given a hosting gig on the Disney reality series "PrankStars." At this overwhelmingly busy point in life (during which he was also trying to launch a music career), Musso took a major step back from on-camera commitments, leaving "PrankStars" after a single season and "Pair of Kings" ahead of its third. In 2020, he reprised his roles from "Pair of Kings" and "Phineas and Ferb" in two separate projects.

Character: Billy Ray Stewart

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1, "Lily, Do You Want to Know a Secret?" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 13, "Wherever I Go" (2011)

Prior to joining the cast of "Hannah Montana" to play his real-life daughter's father, Billy Ray Stewart (a loosely fictionalized version of himself), Billy Ray Cyrus wasn't much of an actor. Aside from leading the little-known but successful Pax TV medical drama "Doc," he largely guest-starred or made cameos as himself, capitalizing on his star power as a popular country musician (though he did notably have a small role in David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive").

Things didn't change too much in the "Hannah Montana" aftermath, with Cyrus guest-starring on "90210," "Are We There Yet," and "Sharknado 2: The Second One." For about two months in 2012, he played a lead in the long-running Broadway production of "Chicago." He returned to TV as a leading man in 2016, co-creating, executive-producing, and starring on the CMT sitcom "Still The King," which was canceled after two seasons.

After a few more quiet years, Cyrus arguably made his biggest impact on the music industry thus far with a universally beloved feature on the Lil Nas X country trap single "Old Town Road" in 2019 (and appeared in the music video, seen above). He drew a fair amount of controversy in 2024, however, when he endorsed and then performed at the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Character: Jackson Stewart

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1, "Lily, Do You Want to Know a Secret?" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 13, "Wherever I Go" (2011)

Like several other former "Hannah Montana" stars, Jason Earles (who starred in the series as Hannah's insecure and largely untalented older brother Jackson) took advantage of the high-quality animated series being produced by Disney Channel and tried his hand at voice acting after the series ended. He could be heard on "Shorty McShorts' Shorts," "Yin Yang Yo!", "Fish Hooks," and Randy' Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja." He also played the central antagonist of the Disney Channel Original Movie "Dadnapped."

He remained a prominent on-screen actor for the network, as well, joining the core cast of the Disney XD comedy series "Kickin' It" as washed-up martial artist Rudy Gillespie. The series ran from 2011 to 2015. Earles has continued to work frequently with Disney in a more limited capacity, popping up in episodes of "Best Friends Whenever," "Just Roll With It" (co-created by the late Trevor Moore), and "Vampirina." Most recently, he recurred on the Disney+ series "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" (pictured above).

Character: Lily Truscott

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1, "Lily, Do You Want to Know a Secret?" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 13, "Wherever I Go" (2011)

Emily Osment was hardly new to the entertainment scene when she was cast as Lily Truscott, Miley's best friend, on "Hannah Montana." Aside from the fact that her brother was also already a successful child actor (Haley Joel Osment of "The Sixth Sense" and "A.I. Artificial Intelligence"), Emily herself had stolen plenty of scenes in "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams" and its sequel "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over."

Thus, it isn't at all surprising that she continued to gain opportunities on TV after the series ended, initially with recurring voice roles in "Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil" and "Family Guy" (voicing Ruth Cochamer in the latter). After starring in the short-lived "Cleaner" series for the now-defunct Crackle platform, she was tapped to lead the Ashley Tisdale-produced romantic comedy series "Young and Hungry," which aired for five seasons on Freeform. This further led to prominent recurring roles on other popular comedies "Mom" and "The Kominsky Method."

Osment's next big break came in 2022, when she joined the cast of the "Big Bang Theory" spin-off "Young Sheldon," playing the role of Georgie Cooper's (Montana Jordan) future wife, Mandy. The pair was such a hit that they got their own spin-off series titled "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," now airing its second season on CBS.

Character: Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1, "Lily, Do You Want to Know a Secret?" (2006)

Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 13, "Wherever I Go" (2011)

Finally, we have Miley Cyrus, the young actor-slash-singer-songwriter who not only played Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel series, but practically lived as her for the duration: Cyrus would frequently sell out tours with a Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana "double billing," where she would appear onstage in costume and sing songs from the series. Cyrus devoted much of her time after the series finale to building a musical identity outside "Hannah Montana," first with the boundary-pushing "Can't Be Tamed," which was soon followed by the starkly edgy "Bangerz." The latter album — which included "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" — received mixed reviews, but helped to quickly establish her as a transgressive, adult musical artist. In 2015, she was chosen to host the VMAs.

Subsequent albums received similarly tepid, if increasingly warmer receptions, until 2020's "Plastic Hearts" saw Cyrus achieve mainstream critical success for the first time in her post-Hannah career. The two albums that followed — 2023's "Endless Summer Vacation" and 2025's "Something Beautiful" — were also well-received, making Cyrus one of the most successful musical artists to make it out of the Disney system.

Cyrus continues to act intermittently, notably cameoing in "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2" and "Drive Away Dolls," and starring in an episode of the Netflix anthology series "Black Mirror" (pictured above). She also hosted "Saturday Night Live" during Season 41, with some help from former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. "Hannah Montana" remains a career highlight for the performer, with Cyrus commemorating the show's 15th anniversary in 2021 by publishing a letter addressed to Hannah herself. Three years later, at the 2024 D23 Expo, Cyrus was the youngest performer ever to receive the honor of Disney Legend.