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Credit: Video Screenshot, Miley Cyrus 'Flowers'Everyone thought that Miley had the best of both worlds, doubling as the Disney superstar Hannah Montana, but Cyrus has now spoken out on what it was like to be a Disney child star with a grueling work schedule at age 13.
If you grew up watching the Disney Channel in the mid to late 2000’s, you undoubtedly saw Hannah Montana. Hannah Montana began in 2006, and lasted for four seasons of immense popularity.
The show starred Miley Cyrus as the titular character, Hannah Montana, a teenage girl leading a double life as a regular schoolgirl by day and a famous pop singer by night. Miley’s real-life father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, portrayed her character’s father, Robby Stewart.
Hannah Montana received high ratings and garnered a dedicated fan base, leading to various merchandise, soundtracks, and concert tours.
The Hannah Montana concerts were highly successful and sold out across the globe. Miley Cyrus, performing as her alter ego Hannah Montana, toured extensively, entertaining fans with her music and performances. The concerts attracted massive crowds and further propelled the show’s popularity.
The Best of Both Worlds Tour served as the inaugural concert tour for American singer Miley Cyrus, in support of her double-disc release, “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus” (2007). This compilation included the soundtrack to the second season of Hannah Montana and her debut studio album. Running from October 2007 to January 2008, the tour visited various cities across the United States and Canada, ultimately grossing over $54 million.
Following the tour’s triumph, a three-dimensional film titled Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert hit American cinemas in February 2008. This film experienced substantial commercial success, raking in a global total of $70.6 million. It also achieved several milestones, including a period as the highest-grossing concert film of its time.
The series came to an end in 2011 after four successful seasons. Miley Cyrus and Disney mutually agreed to conclude the show as Miley transitioned into adulthood and pursued other career opportunities.
Now, the “Flowers” singer has opened up on how tough her work schedule was in a recent TikTok video.
Through a sequence of TikTok videos inspired by her introspective new single, “Used To Be Young,” the 30-year-old artist has been exploring her journey and growth, touching on various aspects of her past and career evolution. These videos cover topics ranging from her choice to refrain from touring since 2014 to her connection with her father, country star Billy Ray Cyrus.
In the most recent installment of the series, posted on Tuesday, the singer offered her followers insights into a typical day she encountered as a child star.
@mileycyrus Used To Be Young (Series) – PART 12
In the video, Cyrus recounted one of her former schedules from when she was approximately 12 or 13 years old, which commenced at 5:30 a.m.
The day kicked off with “hair and makeup in my hotel” before being fetched at 7 a.m. to make an appearance on the news. Following this, Cyrus detailed having three additional live interviews at 7:45 a.m., 8:15 a.m., and 8:45 a.m., along with a 90-minute “meeting with editors,” all before returning “back to the hotel” by noon.
However, there was no break for Cyrus over lunch. Reviewing the next item on her schedule, she noted: “OK, I have to do an interview but the reporters are all fifth-grade students.” Afterward, she had a “lunch interview” with her father at the hotel, as per the schedule, before departing for a photo shoot for Life magazine.
This was succeeded by another photo shoot and interview, this time featuring the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer for the Father’s Day issue of an unnamed publication, scheduled for two hours between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. To conclude her demanding 12-hour day, Cyrus had to attend a “kids online interview” at 6 p.m., followed by yet another interview at 6:15 p.m.
“Then the next day starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m. when I fly home to probably go to Hannah,” she stated. “That’s on a Saturday and then Monday be back at work in the morning.”
Reflecting on her younger self’s rigorous work schedule, Cyrus remarked, “I’m a lot of things but lazy ain’t one of them.” Even her mother, Trish, stated off camera that Cyrus just read the schedule for the next four years of her life.
Cyrus is not the only Disney star who opened up about her tough schedule as a child.
Jenna Ortega discussed on the Armchair Expert podcast the long hours she worked during the filming of Disney’s Stuck in the Middle, referring to them as “crazy hours.” Additionally, Christy Carlson Romano, known for her role in Even Stevens, echoed Ortega’s sentiments, advocating for improved protection for child actors, as reported by the New York Post.
According to Fandomwire, since the news of Miley’s work schedule was released, many have been attacking Disney, sharing statements such as, “Of course Disney exploits children. They’ve been doing a lot more to them than breaking child labor laws.”
“The concept of the show is that when I would alter my image and I would put on a wig, and I would put on sparkly things, that I held a new value — that I was valuable. It did translate into my real life. There was a different level of hysteria…the way that kids would react at these Hannah shows, versus when I was myself and I would meet fans. It was different. It’s beyond method because I was growing up as her — she was me; there was no divide between us. That’s who I was.”
This year, Cyrus will be indoctrinated as a Disney Legend at the D23 Expo, so it appears that the actor has been able to move past the trauma that came with her work schedule.
Disney Tied into Nickelodeon Scandal
This news is trailing the horrific revelations that the recent Nickelodeon-centered documentary Quiet on Set has revealed about child actors being overworked, forced to do skits they were not comfortable doing, inappropriately talked to and touched, and abused, proving that the Hollywood industry as it pertains to children needs a dramatic overhaul.
In a recent YouTube video, Dan Schneider who helmed Nickelodeon’s success had a conversation with BooG!E, known for portraying T-Bo on the popular series iCarly. During their discussion, Schneider not only addressed the recent docuseries but also issued an apology for his past actions.
“Watching the docuseries over the past two nights was very challenging,” he expressed, referring to Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV, now available for streaming on MAX. “Confronting my past actions, some of which I find embarrassing and regrettable, I understand that I owe certain individuals a sincere apology.”
Schneider acknowledged the toxic work environment he had created, which included instances of verbal abuse, racism, favoritism, and inappropriate conduct towards young actors.
One of the biggest nightmares revealed in the show focused on Drake Bell, star of Drake and Josh.
In 2004, Brian Peck entered a plea of no contest to charges of oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old. The victim’s identity remained undisclosed until recently.
Drake Bell surprised many by revealing himself as the individual who accused Peck of the sexual assault. In the docuseries, he opened up about his experiences, sharing how it all unfolded.
“Brian Peck essentially infiltrated every aspect of my life,” Bell recounted, revealing that Peck convinced Bell’s father to step down as his manager so that Peck could assume the role. “I knew that my life was going to change drastically from that moment forward.”
According to the US Department of Labor website, “a child actor needs at least 12 hours of rest between one working day and the next day. For example, in California, a child actor whose age falls between 9 years and 16 years old is allowed to work 5-7 hours daily.”
Overall, it seems more and more child stars are opening up on their tough childhood that was a direct result of the entertainment industry they joined at such a young age.
What do you think needs to be done to fix these ongoing issues for kids in Hollywood?