Tish Cyrus Says she Pushed Billy Ray to Star on Hannah Montana to Keep Family Close - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 02-08-2024, 08:55 PM

Tish Cyrus Pushed Billy Ray Cyrus to Star on "Hannah Montana" so their “Family Could Be Together”
by Carly Thomas
Feb. 7, 2024

Tish Cyrus is looking back at "Hannah Montana", the show that launched her daughter Miley Cyrus‘ career as well as helped her then-husband Billy Ray Cyrus rise to a new level of fame.

During a recent interview on Call Her Daddy with her oldest daughter, Brandi Cyrus, Tish opened up about how the popular Disney Channel series, which ran from 2006 to 2011, impacted their family. On the show, Miley starred as Miley Stewart, a teen with a secret pop star persona, alongside her dad Billy Ray, who played her onscreen father Robby Ray Stewart.

Tish said the show “became its own phenomenon,” which they were not expecting once it initially premiered. Brandi added, “Hannah Montana was just different. And I don’t think anyone could’ve ever anticipated it or thought how big it would be.”

As for Billy Ray, who rose to stardom with his 1992 hit song “Achy Breaky Heart,” he initially wasn’t set to be a part of "Hannah Montana", but when Tish saw an opportunity for her family to be together, she knew she had to push for it.

“He had done ‘Achy Breaky [Heart]’ and nothing else was working,” she recalled. “And then I brought Miley out to audition for Hannah and she had gotten it. And then one of the casting directors said a joke, like, ‘Ugh, too bad we can’t afford her real dad.’ And I said, ‘Oh, maybe you can.’”

The Cyrus family, which includes five children total, had been living in Toronto, Canada, for one of Billy Ray’s shows before Miley booked the role on the Disney Channel series. So Tish knew she had to make a decision because moving the entire family across the country or constantly traveling back and forth was going to be “really hard.”

“Miley had already gotten Hannah, and I was already stressed about, ‘What are we gonna do?’ I couldn’t, as a mom, have half my kids in Tennessee and be out [in L.A.] with Miley, like I just could not do that,” Tish told host Alex Cooper.

“And so I was like, ‘I have to bring all the kids.’ And so that’s when I said to Billy Ray, ‘You should come audition for the dad. Because they love you and they’re really interested. Yes, it would be a pay cut but our family could be together.’”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...us-1235818962/

02-08-2024, 08:55 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 56,961	Tish Cyrus Says she Pushed Billy Ray to Star on Hannah Montana to Keep Family Close *Tish Cyrus Pushed Billy Ray Cyrus to Star on "Hannah Montana" so their “Family Could Be Together”* by Carly Thomas Feb. 7, 2024 Tish Cyrus is looking back at "Hannah Montana", the show that launched her daughter Miley Cyrus‘ career as well as helped her then-husband Billy Ray Cyrus rise to a new level of fame. During a recent interview on Call Her Daddy with her oldest daughter, Brandi Cyrus, Tish opened up about how the popular Disney Channel series, which ran from 2006 to 2011, impacted their family. On the show, Miley starred as Miley Stewart, a teen with a secret pop star persona, alongside her dad Billy Ray, who played her onscreen father Robby Ray Stewart. Tish said the show “became its own phenomenon,” which they were not expecting once it initially premiered. Brandi added, “Hannah Montana was just different. And I don’t think anyone could’ve ever anticipated it or thought how big it would be.” As for Billy Ray, who rose to stardom with his 1992 hit song “Achy Breaky Heart,” he initially wasn’t set to be a part of "Hannah Montana", but when Tish saw an opportunity for her family to be together, she knew she had to push for it. “He had done ‘Achy Breaky [Heart]’ and nothing else was working,” she recalled. “And then I brought Miley out to audition for Hannah and she had gotten it. And then one of the casting directors said a joke, like, ‘Ugh, too bad we can’t afford her real dad.’ And I said, ‘Oh, maybe you can.’” The Cyrus family, which includes five children total, had been living in Toronto, Canada, for one of Billy Ray’s shows before Miley booked the role on the Disney Channel series. So Tish knew she had to make a decision because moving the entire family across the country or constantly traveling back and forth was going to be “really hard.” “Miley had already gotten Hannah, and I was already stressed about, ‘What are we gonna do?’ I couldn’t, as a mom, have half my kids in Tennessee and be out [in L.A.] with Miley, like I just could not do that,” Tish told host Alex Cooper. “And so I was like, ‘I have to bring all the kids.’ And so that’s when I said to Billy Ray, ‘You should come audition for the dad. Because they love you and they’re really interested. Yes, it would be a pay cut but our family could be together.’” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...us-1235818962/