A former Disney Channel star has confessed to falsifying their age to secure a role alongside Miley Cyrus on Hannah Montana.
Jason Earles, now 48, portrayed Miley’s on-screen older brother, Jackson Stewart, in the popular Disney series that aired from 2006 to 2011.
The show revolved around Miley’s character navigating life as both a pop sensation and a regular school student. The upcoming Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on Tuesday (March 24).
Nearly two decades since the show’s debut, Jason disclosed the story of how he landed his role in the iconic program.
During an episode of the Best of Both Worlds podcast with the show’s writer-producer Douglas Danger Lieblein and director Shannon Flynn, he revealed that he had misrepresented his age during the audition process.
Although he auditioned to play a 16-year-old character, Jason was actually 28 years old at the time. Nevertheless, he claimed to be 18 during the audition.
Recalling the situation, he expressed, “I was extremely worried about being discovered and replaced because of a significant secret. When I tried out for the show, I lied about my age, stating I was 18 years old.”
Jason further mentioned that his real age remained unknown to most until halfway through the show’s initial season.
Responding to Jason’s revelation, Douglas shared, “I only found out in episode eight, and I believe the network discovered the truth later than I did.”
Subsequently, after his true age was uncovered, a network executive confronted Jason, questioning if there were any other undisclosed details.
Jason recounted, “I remember a senior network executive showing up on set and saying, ‘Hey, you’re, uh, 28? And you’re married?'”
“I responded, ‘Yes, that woman I’ve been kissing on the show… she’s my wife.’ He then asked if there were any more secrets or if I had children, to which I replied ‘No,’ and he advised to maintain that status quo for a while.”
Apart from his role on Hannah Montana, Jason has appeared in various films like National Treasure, Battle Drone, and Hunted, along with featuring in several television series in the United States.
His podcast appearance precedes the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special airing later this month on Disney+. Miley expressed her excitement for the long-awaited show’s release.
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