History Trivia / HannahMontana

** Before Miley, the lead role was offered to Music/JoJo who turned it down. Creator/TaylorMomsen and [[Creator/AmericanJuniors Jordan McCoy]] also auditioned.

* RealitySubtext: The fourth season deals with themes such as whether Hannah's audience would accept the change and growth in her work, Miley and Lilly growing up and out of the tastes and fashions they had when they were younger, and whether her fans would stay with her even after Miley stops being Hannah Montana and appears in public as the real Miley. This seems to reflect Miley's image change into a [[CerebusSyndrome more adult and more edgy/personalized/reflective image and music style]] in RealLife, which began before the fourth season was filmed.

*** Actually her age was never mentioned. There's no reason she can't be 26.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Possible -- In some of the episodes, there's an underlying feeling that the plot and even the show could have been brilliantly satirical, but that the Disney sitcom formula, as well as [[UsefulNotes/MediaClassifications the target demographic being tween and teen girls]], puts a limit on the writers' storytelling potential.

* AdoredByTheNetwork: Made up most of Creator/DisneyChannel's schedule in the mid-to-late 2000's alongside ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' and ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace''.
* CashCowFranchise: The show was this for Creator/DisneyChannel in the mid-to-late 2000's, as it largely helped the network become the huge juggernaut it is today. Of course there was all the usual Disney merchandise for this series including, ''Hannah Montana'' toys, ''Hannah Montana'' [=CDs=], ''Hannah Montana'' cereal, ''Hannah Montana'' clothes, ''Hannah Montana'' games for the Nintendo DS and Wii, ''Hannah Montana'' live tours that often sold out immediatley, and even a theatrical movie.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The BigDamnMovie was due to be scored by Music/AlanSilvestri, but because of schedules it ended up being done by Music/JohnDebney (although "Butterfly Fly Away," written by Silvestri and Glen Ballard, remains in the movie). Ironically, [[RecycledSoundtrack part of Silvestri's score for]] ''Film/TheMexican'' is tracked into the movie (in the scene where the British reporter eats peppers).

** The show began as a ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' spinoff called ''Better Days'', about a child actor masquerading as a schoolgirl, and it was to star [[Film/CampRock Alyson Stoner]], ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'' became the spin-off instead.

** An animated series was worked on, but cancelled.

* AdoredByTheNetwork: Made up most of Creator/DisneyChannel's schedule in the mid-to-late 2000's alongside Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody and Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace

** Jason Earles, who plays Jackson, was a real-life example of VagueAge, his year of birth variably being reported as either 1977, 1985 or 1988, until it was finally confirmed to be 1977, making him almost 29 years old when the show premiered. {{Averted}} with the rest of the young characters, who are played by real teenagers. However, this example is justified as Earles genuinely looked like a teenager.

* AbsenteeActor: Hannah/Miley was the only main character to appear in every episode.
** Lilly and Jackson were missing from 1 episode: "Can You See the Real Me?"
** Robbie was missing from 4 episodes: "Once, Twice, Three Times Afraidy", "Would I Lie to You, Lilly?", "You Give Lunch a Bad Name" and "Can You See the Real Me?"
** Oliver was missing from 12 episodes: "You Are So Sue-able to Me", "Take This Job and Love It", "I Want You to Want Me... to Go to Florida", "Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas", "Don't Stop 'Til You Get the Phone", "The Test of My Love", "Cheat It", "Knock Knock Knockin' on Jackson's Head", "Jake... Another Little Piece of My Heart", "For (Give) a Little Bit", "Can't Get Home to You Girl" and "Come Fail Away"
** Rico was missing from 19 episodes: "Cuffs Will Keep Us Together", "You Are So Sue-able to Me", "I Am Hannah, Hear Me Croak", "You Gotta Not Fight for Your Right to Party", "Don't Stop 'Til You Get the Phone", "Bye Bye Ball", "(We're So Sorry) Uncle Earl", "The Way We Almost Weren't", "He Ain't a Hottie, He's My Brother", "Killing Me Softly with His Height", "Papa's Got a Brand New Friend", "What I Don't Like About You", "I Honestly Love You (No, Not You)", "Uptight (Oliver's Alright)", "Judge Me Tender", "Sweet Home Hannah Montana", "Been Here All Along", "Love That Let's Go" and "Can You See the Real Me?"

* ActorAllusion:
** By proxy:
-->'''[[Creator/EmilyOsment Lilly]]:''' Oh please! Next you're gonna be saying "[[TheSixthSense She sees dead people!]]"
** Another allusion once removed, when we find out Miley used to own a goldfish named Scaley Joel Osment.
** Miley lives on Destiny Way. Music/MileyCyrus' birth name is Destiny Hope Cyrus.
** Robbie Ray regularly makes Billy Ray Cyrus allusions, including an episode where he actually wears a mullet wig and ''calls himself'' Billy Ray Cyrus.
-->'''Robbie Ray:''' Oooh, my achy breaky back!
** Likewise, the episode "Achy Jakey Heart"
** Aunt Dolly isn't very far removed from Music/DollyParton's personality/public persona.

* CastingGag: Billy Ray Cyrus, still a OneHitWonder (before a duet with Miley returned him to the top 40)'s character's mother is played by Vicki Lawrence who also had a short career as a musician culminating in a single hit.

** Miley Cyrus had originally auditioned for what would have been the Lilly role, but Disney decided to give her the lead role. Also, Billy Ray had only come to offer Miley moral support at the audition and read the father's lines, but Disney loved his cameraderie with Miley and hired Billy Ray as Robbie Ray.

* WorkingTitle: At one point the series was under the working title "Alexis Texas". Whether or not the change had to due to a porn actress of the same name who also made her first appearance in 2006 likely remains a mystery (but given Disney Channel sensibilities, it's a safe bet).

* CashCowFranchise: The show was this for Creator/DisneyChannel in the mid-to-late 2000's. ''Hannah Montana'' toys, ''Hannah Montana'' [=CDs=], ''Hannah Montana'' cereal, ''Hannah Montana'' clothes, ''Hannah Montana'' games for the Nintendo DS, ''Hannah Montana'' live tours, and even a theatrical movie.

* ActingForTwo: In the final season, when Miley fights with herself (literally) about revealing her secret.

** The show began as a ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' spinoff called ''Better Days'', about a child actor masquerading as a schoolgirl, and it was to star [[Film/CampRock Alyson Stoner]].

** At one point the series was under the working title "Alexis Texas". Whether or not the change had to due to a porn actress of the same name who also made her first appearance in 2006 likely remains a mystery (but given Disney Channel sensibilities, it's a safe bet).

** Before Miley, the lead role was offered to Music/JoJo who turned it down. Creator/TaylorMomsen and [[Creator/AmericanJuniors Jordan McCoy]] also auditioned.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The BigDamnMovie was due to be scored by Creator/AlanSilvestri, but because of schedules it ended up being done by Music/JohnDebney (although "Butterfly Fly Away," written by Silvestri and Glen Ballard, remains in the movie). Ironically, [[RecycledSoundtrack part of Silvestri's score for]] ''Film/TheMexican'' is tracked into the movie (in the scene where the British reporter eats peppers).

** Traci Van Horn was 16 when the show started, even though her actress Romi Dames was 10 years older.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: In a way, as the show deals with a pop star coming to fame in the late 2000's, this show has elements of this. Plenty of pop culture references in the jokes and plot lines, from Jesse [=McCartney=] to Music/KellyClarkson to Music/LadyGaga to KatyPerry, a few ''Series/AmericanIdol'' references, the second War in Iraq (as covered in Season 4), a UsefulNotes/BarackObama {{Expy}} also in the final season, maybe even the [[IdolSinger Teen Pop]] aspect in general---help to put the show in a specific time and place.

** Before Miley, the lead role was offered to {{JoJo}} who turned it down. TaylorMomsen and [[AmercianJuniors Jordan McCoy]] also auditioned.

** Aunt Dolly isn't very far removed from [[DollyParton Dolly Parton's]] personality/public persona.

** Aunt Dolly, who is played by Music/MileyCyrus' [[DollyParton real life godmother]].

* CaliforniaDoubling: Inverted in the movie where Miley's California high school is actually Tennessee's Franklin High School.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Possible -- In some of the episodes, there's an underlying feeling that the plot and even the show could have been brilliantly satirical, but that the Disney sitcom formula, as well as [[UsefulNotes/MediaClassifications the target demographic being little girls]], puts a limit on the writers' storytelling potential.

** Miley lives on Destiny Way. MileyCyrus' birth name is Destiny Hope Cyrus.

** Aunt Dolly, who is played by MileyCyrus' [[DollyParton real life godmother]].

** The lead character was to be named Zoe Stewart, then Chloe Stewart as they felt "Zoe" sounded too much like the lead in ''Series/Zoey101''. They settled on "Miley Stewart" so 13-going-on-14-year-old MileyCyrus wouldn't have to remember so many names.

** The show began as a ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' spinoff called ''Better Days'', about a child actor masquerading as a schoolgirl, and it was to star [[CampRock Alyson Stoner]].

** The lead character was to be named Zoe Stewart, then Chloe Stewart as they felt "Zoe" sounded too much like the lead in ''Zoey101''. They settled on "Miley Stewart" so 13-going-on-14-year-old MileyCyrus wouldn't have to remember so many names.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Mamaw is played by [[MamasFamily Mama]].
** Lilly is portrayed by Emily Osment, the lesser-known - and of late, arguably better-known - sister of [[TheSixthSense Haley]] [[ForrestGump Joel]] [[Franchise/KingdomHearts Osment]]. Some people remember her as Gerti Giggles from ''SpyKids''.
** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Billingslea Beau Billingslea]] plays the mayor of Miley's Tennessee hometown, in TheMovie. Yes, ''[[Anime/CowboyBebop that]]'' Beau Billingslea.
** [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Tim]] [[Series/ICarly Russ]] as the doctor charged with saving Hannah's singing voice.
** [[Series/TheNanny Charles Shaughnessy]] as the Simon Cowell parody in "Judge Me Tender".
** Wasn't Thor one of the guys present during [[Film/{{Transformers}} the landing of the Autobots?]]
** [[Series/MamasFamily Vicki Lawrence]] as Jackson and Miley's grandmother.
** David Koechner, who plays Todd Packer from ''TheOffice'', as Uncle Earl.
** Also from ''TheOffice'', Melora Hardin as Lorelai, Robbie's love interest in TheMovie.
** [[Series/SonnyWithAChance Tiffany Thornton]] as the aforementioned Brainless Bodacious Becky.
** [[Series/ThePractice Camryn Manheim]] as Margo, Mikayla's obnoxious, loud-mouthed pitbull of a manager.
** Troy Evans, best-known for playing Frank on Series/{{ER}} as Jerry, a junkyard worker.
** "Saint" Sarah was Lulu in ''Film/ThePacifier''.
** [[Series/StElsewhere Ed Begley, Jr.]] as Sarah's dad.
** Alan from ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' as Lilly's dad.
*** And Jake as Siena's annoying cousin
** SelenaGomez as Mikayla, Hannah's rival.
** [[Film/DancingWithTheStars Carrie Ann Inaba]] as Tina, Hannah's choreographer.
** {{Fred}}.
** [[Film/{{Goodfellas}} Ray Liotta]] as Principal Luger.
** [[Film/DodgeballATrueUnderdogStory Christine Taylor]] as Lori the [[SchoolNurse school nurse]].
** Robert Costanzo as Al Blaine, the owner of the arcade where Lilly works.
** [[Series/GeneralHospital Gildart Jackson]] as Quinn, Hannah's record producer.
** [[PrettyLittleLiars Jenna Marshall]] as Jackson's girlfriend
** [[Series/{{Community}} Ali]][[MadMen son]] [[Creator/AlisonBrie Brie]] as an aspiring hairstylist who sabotages Jackson and Rico's hair
** [[ANTFarm China Anne McClain and Sierra McCormick]] as two of the audience members that asked Hannah in "Welcome To The Bungle".
** In the concert film, if you look hard enough, you might just spot [[TheVampireDiaries Caroline Forbes]] as one of the backup singers.
*** To a (somewhat) lesser degree, Miley's friend, dancer/singer/choreographer Mandy Jiroux, as of March 2013 an emerging dance-pop/EDM artist under the name of MJX, worked as a dancer for Miley/Hannah tours and appearances for a number of years. By 2009 she appeared as part of YouTube web series ''TheMileyAndMandyShow'' for a year, and for a period was a member of GirlGroup BG5 (later rebooted as YLA without Mandy) before striking out on her own.
* HeyItsThatVoice:
** [[SonicTheHedgehog Jason Griffith]] as a radio announcer.
** In the Japanese dub: Hannah Montana is [[Manga/HayateTheCombatButler Hayate Ayasaki]]. Incidentally, her [[Creator/RyokoShiraishi voice actress]] dubs Music/MileyCyrus in Japanese in almost every other movie or TV series she appears in.
** In Hungary, Hannah Montana is [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]].

** Miley Stewart is played by Miley Cyrus. Averted at first, as the lead role was named ''Zoe Stewart'', later changed to Chloe Stewart because Zoe was thought to be too similar to ''{{Zoey 101}}'', and the character was established well before Cyrus came in. In fact, she originally auditioned (yes, ''auditioned'') for the role of ''Lilly''. It was changed to ''Miley'' as all of the aliases were becoming confusing to her in RealLife. Still an odd subversion because Miley wasn't her real first name -- it's Destiny Hope Cyrus, and Miley was a nickname she got as a baby -- but then she had her first name legally changed to Miley.