‘Anymore Secrets?’: Miley Cyrus’ Brother on ‘Hannah Montana’ Drops Bombshell — Admits He Lied His Way Onto the Show and No One Caught It
Miley Cyrus‘ friend and Hollywood actor from her famous Disney Channel show days is sharing a secret that not many people knew while the show was on air.
While nostalgic fans are reminiscing about the 20th anniversary of “Hannah Montana,” one of Cyrus’ co-stars dropped a bombshell that went viral, leaving the public in shock after discovering what took place on set 20 years later.
Cyrus and the cast reunited on the red carpet at the world premiere of the “Hannah Montana” 20th Anniversary Special in Los Angeles.
The singer starred as 13-year-old superstar Hannah on the show, which aired for four seasons on the Disney Channel after its debut in 2006. At the time, actor Jason Earles was cast to play Hannah’s 16-year-old brother on the sitcom with Billy Ray Cyrus as their dad.
But in the first episode of the “Best of Both Our Worlds: The Official, Unofficial Hannah Montana Podcast,” Earles admitted he tricked the show’s producers just to get the role.
“When I auditioned for the show, uh, I, I lied to them and told them I was 18 years old,” he said. “I almost didn’t audition for the show because I was like, it’s — I, I’m too old. Like, it’s — the character’s 16. Nobody’s going to buy it.”
Earles said he was 28 when he lied to show producers, telling them he was only 18. Not only was he working closely with people half his age, but he was also married at the time.
Jason Earles reveals he told ‘Hannah Montana’ producers he was 18 in his audition and nobody noticed he lied until Season 1 was halfway through filming.
He was secretly 28 at the time and married. pic.twitter.com/m7ERVrxbRP
— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 18, 2026
Cyrus is 33 today, and Earles is 48.
He claimed that he’d already lied to the casting director at a previous audition, and he got the part. Looking back, Earles said that no one realized how old he really was until the eighth episode, weeks into filming.
“I remember one of the the higher-up network executives showed up on show night,” he explained. “And he was like, ‘Hey, so you’re 28.’ And I was like, ‘I am.’ And he’s like, ‘And, uh so, you’re, you’re married?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that girl that I keep making out with.’”
Earles said he was in constant fear that someone would discover his real age and his role would be recast. He added that a Disney executive asked if he had any more to share, and was relieved when he said he did not.
“And he was like, ‘Uh, any more, any more secrets? Anything we should know?’ I was like, ‘No.’ He’s like, ‘You don’t have any, do you have any kids?’ And I was like, ‘No.’ ’Cause he’s like, ‘Let’s go ahead and keep that away for a few years.’ Uh, and I was like, ‘Absolutely. Of course.’”
The age gap was noticeable beyond set to many who gave Earles strange looks when he was out having a beer, from fans who thought he was much younger than 21.
He claimed that people would often mistake his wife for his mother because they assumed he was a teenager like his character and others on the show.
Omg she did look like his mom
pic.twitter.com/HUGDkOvt9W
— Beetz (@beetzeria) March 19, 2026
Fans were shocked to learn how old the baby-faced actor really was on the show. After the podcast made the rounds on social media, one X user wrote, “He looked 18. I was SHOOK when I found out!”
“He had me fooled. Thought this mf was a kid,” a second person said while another joked, “Welp that explains why he never grew taller.”
But not everyone was convinced Earles got over on production, turning a blind eye to tax documents or forms that would indicate his age. Longtime fans of the show pointed to his older demeanor and deep voice for a teenager in puberty.
“But he looked so old ! Even as a teen a knew that guy wasn’t 18,” one person admitted. Another triggered by his words said, “‘They thought my wife was my mom’ is wild.”
Several users questioned the hiring process at Disney and wondered why the company didn’t do a background check. One user noted, “They don’t run background checks or fill out a w4 or anything? I don’t believe this lmao.”
According to Earles, “Hannah Montana” showrunner Steven Peterman later thanked him for pulling his lying stunt.
“He did say, ‘Thank you so much for lying to us because we would’ve gotten nervous if we’d found out during the pilot and we would’ve recast you,’” said the actor.
Earles was married to his first wife, Jennifer Earles, from 2003 to 2013 while filming “Hannah Montana.” He has been married to his second wife, Katie Drysen, 35, since 2017.