Miley Cyrus has been named the youngest ever ‘Disney Legend’ for her role as Hannah Montana.
The singer and actress, 31, teared up as she took to the stage to accept the accolade at D3 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California on Sunday, August 11.
Cyrus said scoring the role of Miley Stewart in Hannah Montana, who led a double life as a pop star named Hannah Montana, solidified the sense that she was chasing the right dream.
“I had gotten a taste of what my life could be, and from that moment on, I did not want anything else,” Cyrus, who starred in the Disney series from 2006 to 2011, said.
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Almost two decades since the first episode went to air, Cyrus admitted, “A little bit of everything has changed … but at the same time, nothing has changed at all.”
She added, “I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana.”
In the touching speech, the “Flowers” singer went on to thank her legions of fans and echoed the words of the character who first thrust Cyrus into the spotlight.
“In so many ways, this award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing loyal fans, and to everyone who has made my dream a reality. To quote the legend herself, ‘This is the life,’” Cyrus said.
The former child star has sustained a love-hate relationship with Hannah Montana over the years.
To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the show, Cyrus wrote a letter to her alter ego in March 2021.
“You have all my love and utmost gratitude. Breathing life into you for those six years was an honor,” she penned. “I am indebted not only to you, Hannah, but to any and everyone who believed in me from the beginning. You all have my loyalty and deepest appreciation until the end.”
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The “Used To Be Young” singer has also spoken about the difficulties of moving on from such an iconic character as she grew up, who she described to Rolling Stone in 2020 as becoming “larger than life, larger than me.”
“I felt like I was never going to amount to the success of Hannah Montana,” Cyrus told the outlet. “Really, Hannah Montana was not a character. That wasn’t what the show is about. It was about a normal girl with a f–king wig on. Everything was always in me. The concept of the show, it’s me. I’ve had to really come to terms with that and not be third-person about it.
Despite the pressures to evolve beyond her child star beginnings, Cyrus has gone on to achieve success in her music career.
In February, she won her first Grammy for her song “Flowers” and made a well-publicized speech where she thanked her mom, Tish, but omitted her famous dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, amid rumors of a family drama
