Introduction to Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus, Actor / Singer

* Born: 23 November 1992
* Birthplace: Franklin, Tennessee
* Best Known As: Star of Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana

Name at birth: Destiny Hope Cyrus

Miley Cyrus became a TV star at the age of 13 as the title character in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. Cyrus is the oldest daughter of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus, who topped the charts in 1992 with “Achy Breaky Heart.” Miley began performing at an early age, and by the age of 9 she was trying to start a professional career. Prior to Hannah Montana, she had a mere handful of jobs, most notably a small part in Tim Burton’s Big Fish (2003, starring Ewan McGregor). After a series of auditions that began when she was 11, Cyrus landed the lead role of Hannah, a teen pop star who disguises herself as an average schoolgirl. Her dad, Billy Ray, was then chosen to play her widowed father in the TV series, and the entire Cyrus family moved from Nashville, Tennessee to southern California to encourage Miley’s career. The instant success of her television series led to a record deal for Cyrus, whose husky singing voice is often featured in the show. In October of 2006 the soundtrack to Hannah Montana, featuring eight songs by Miley and a duet with her father, made its debut on Billboard’s Top 200 chart at no. 1.

Her nickname “Miley” is a shortened form of her other nickname, “Smiley.”