The role of Hannah Montana was almost given to another Disney Channel star before Miley Cyrus, but Miley was still the first person officially cast in the part.

Quick Scoop

  • The show was developed with Miley Cyrus in mind as the lead, and she is the one who was ultimately cast and announced as Hannah Montana.
  • During development, Disney executives reportedly offered the Hannah Montana role to Aly Michalka (of the duo Aly & AJ) before fully committing to Miley, while Aly’s sister AJ was considered for the best-friend role Lilly.
  • Casting director Lisa London later revealed that, in the final stages of auditions, the top three contenders for the role (then named “Chloe Stewart”) were:
    1. Miley Cyrus
    2. Taylor Momsen
    3. Daniella Monet
      out of more than 1,200 girls.

So if you’re asking “who was originally cast as Hannah Montana,” the technical answer is Miley Cyrus — but almost Hannah Montana could have been Aly Michalka, Taylor Momsen, or Daniella Monet before final decisions were locked.

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