6 Surprising Stars Who Almost Played Hannah Montana Christopher RudolphThu, March 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC 0 Miley Cyrus; Taylor MomsenCredit: DISNEY CHANNEL/BOB D'AMICO; CLINT SPAULDING/Patrick McMullan via Getty Hannah Montana premiered 20 years ago in March 2006 Miley Cyrus starred in the Disney Channel series, but other actresses almost played the part of the fictional pop star Cyrus, Taylor Momsen and Daniella Monet were the final three up for the role Hannah Montana launched Miley Cyrus into global superstardom — but other actresses nearly wore the character's iconic blonde wig.
6 Surprising Stars Who Almost Played Hannah Montana
Christopher RudolphThu, March 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC
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Miley Cyrus; Taylor MomsenCredit: DISNEY CHANNEL/BOB D'AMICO; CLINT SPAULDING/Patrick McMullan via Getty -
Hannah Montana premiered 20 years ago in March 2006
Miley Cyrus starred in the Disney Channel series, but other actresses almost played the part of the fictional pop star
Cyrus, Taylor Momsen and Daniella Monet were the final three up for the role
Hannah Montana launched Miley Cyrus into global superstardom — but other actresses nearly wore the character's iconic blonde wig.
It's been 20 years since Hannah Montana premiered on the Disney Channel on March 24, 2006, and to celebrate the "Hannahversary," Cyrus released the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on March 24, 2026.
While Cyrus and Hannah Montana are now synonymous to fans, there were several up-and-coming stars in the running to bring the "Best of Both Worlds" singer to life.
So, who else was in consideration? Here are six actresses who almost played Hannah Montana.
01 of 06
Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen attends The CW Network Upfront event at Madison Square Garden May 17, 2006 in New York CityCredit: Evan Agostini/Getty
Taylor Momsen was one of the final three actresses who was up for the role of Hannah Montana.
Momsen previously played Cindy Lou Who in 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas when she was 7 years old.
Even though she lost out on starring in Hannah Montana, the actress went on to portray Jenny Humphrey on The CW's hit teen drama Gossip Girl and front the rock band The Pretty Reckless.
"Honestly, if I'd ended up as Hannah Montana, I don't know if the show would have gone as well," Momsen told Starpulse.com in October 2010 (via Variety).
02 of 06
Daniella Monet
Daniella Monet in 2005 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaCredit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
Daniella Monet was among the final three considered for Hannah Montana.
"I actually went behind my agents back to do a general [meeting] with Disney, and that general in the same day essentially turned into testing for Hannah Montana," Monet recalled on the Counter-Melodies podcast in February 2025.
"So it was me, Miley and Taylor Momsen, and that experience was so fun," she continued. "I was probably about four or five years older than them, and I remember just being kind of like motherly, and going downstairs to the cafeteria and bringing up french fries for Miley."
"It was a beautiful experience, I really enjoyed it," Monet added about the audition.
Monet wouldn't star on the Disney Channel series, but she later earned recognition for her role as Trina Vega on Nickelodeon's Victorious.
03 of 06
Belinda
Belinda during the MTV Video Music Awards Latin America in 2006Credit: Jason Merritt/FilmMagic
Mexican actress and singer Belinda was up for the role, but she wasn't one of the final three, despite what a 2022 TikTok claimed.
To debunk the rumor that Belinda was one of the finalists, casting director Lisa London posted her own TikTok.
"I'm actually the original casting director on Hannah Montana, and I discovered Miley Cyrus," London said in the video. "I wanted to let everyone know that Belinda, who is lovely by the way, was never in the top three for the role of Hannah."
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Cyrus, Momsen and Monet "were the final three actresses the network test out of over 1,200 girls," London added.
While Belinda wasn't on the shortlist for the Disney Channel show, her career continued to soar.
After making a name for herself as a child actress, Belinda expanded her talents into music. She then starred in The Cheetah Girls 2, marking her crossover into the English-speaking market. Today, Belinda continues to act and sing.
04 of 06
Lucy Hale
Lucy Hale attends the 'Surf School' premiere in 2006Credit: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
In a March 2025 Buzzfeed video, Lucy Hale listed off the various projects she had auditioned for, including Hannah Montana, and when asked about which role, she said, "It was for Miley's part."
"It was when I still lived in Tennessee, and I was 14 at the time so this would have been 21 years ago," she recalled. "It was a couple years before they had cast Miley in it, and I remember the audition, it was a taped audition in Tennessee."
"It was the audition that made me want to be an actress, I remember that vividly. It was very, very cool," Hale added.
She went on to land roles in the teen shows Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Drake & Josh and The O.C. After starring on The CW's dramedy Privileged, Hale shot to stardom on Pretty Little Liars.
05 of 06
JoJo
JoJo at the 'Kingdom Come' release party in 2006Credit: John Shearer/WireImage
"Leave (Get Out)" singer JoJo (whose real name is Joanna Levesque) was offered the role of Hannah Montana, but she turned it down.
"No regrets. No regrets at all," JoJo told Extra in August 2008 (via the New York Daily News) about her decision. "Yeah, they offered me the role ... [But] it's not really what I see for myself."
Years later, in a March 2016 interview, JoJo was asked whether she had further reflected on her career choice. "Honestly, that's not the way I live my life," she said.
"I'm not like so regretful of what I didn't do at 14, I just can't do that," she explained. "So, no that's not how I feel. Would my bank account be a lot sweeter? Hell yeah."
06 of 06
Aly Michalka
Aly Michalka in 2006Credit: Chris Polk/FilmMagic
Aly Michalka, of Aly & AJ fame, was offered the role, while she was appearing on another Disney Channel series, Phil of the Future.
During a January 2025 interview on Call Her Daddy, Michalka recalled how Disney Channel executives reached out to her about the part. "[They] were like, 'This pilot has come in and we think that you're really perfect for it,' " she recalled to host Alex Cooper.
Michalka read the script and thought playing another pop star might be complicated for people. "I'm doing music as Aly and this might be really confusing being Hannah and being the character also playing Hannah," she said.
Ultimately, she decided to pass on the opportunity to focus on other ventures.
"I booked Phil at 13 and then by the time it was over ... I was like almost 17 I think when [Hannah Montana] was offered. And I just remember thinking I've kind of done what I wanted to do here on the channel," Michalka explained.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: March 26, 2026 at 06:09AM on Source: PRIME TIME
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