Miley Cyrus Interview, Hannah Montana The Movie

Walt Disney Pictures takes the Disney Channel phenom to the big screen in the feature film extravaganza “Hannah Montana The Movie,” filmed entirely on location in and around Nashville, Tennessee.

Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) struggles to juggle school, friends and her secret pop-star persona. When Hannah Montana’s soaring popularity threatens to take over her life—she just might let it. So her father (Billy Ray Cyrus) takes the teen home to Crowley Corners, Tennessee for a dose of reality, kicking off an adventure filled with the kind of fun, laughter and romance even Hannah Montana couldn’t imagine.

Miley Cyrus’ top-rated Emmy-nominated television series, “Hannah Montana,” sold-out 70-city concert tour and third consecutive top-selling album (“Breakout”) in less than two years have propelled the young actress-singer-songwriter to international stardom. Following the series’ sensational debut in March 2006 (5.4 million viewed its premiere), Cyrus became an immediate hit with audiences, and
her own exploding popularity has mirrored those of her increasingly famous television alter egos, Hannah Montana and Miley Stewart.

“Miley is one of those rare, incredible talents. She can sing, she can dance, she can act—and she’s funny,” says the film’s producer Al Gough. “To be natural on film is the hardest thing in the world, and she does it without any effort, her instincts are so good. To watch her grow as an actor over the course of making this film has been  amazing.”

Bringing “Hannah Montana” to the big screen was a natural step in the evolution of Cyrus’ multiple talents and the audience’s rabid desire to know more about their beloved heroines, Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana.

In the movie, Miley sings, dances and performs 13 songs and musical numbers, many as Hannah Montana, some as Miley Stewart. It’s when her Hannah Montana persona begins to take over the responsibilities and commitments of Miley Stewart’s life that her father, Robby Ray, decides to intervene and try to set things right.

MoviesOnline sat down recently with Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Lucas Till and director Peter Chelsom to talk about their new movie, “Hannah Montana The Movie.” Here’s what they had to tell us:

Q:  I'm a little out of your demographic so, for my readers, why are you the entertainment superstar you are?

Miley Cyrus: Uhhhhhh, cuz I rock! Just kidding.  I think because of the show that I'm on and the movie that everybody is about to see, it's very real.  I feel like the hardest thing about dealing with all the things I go through with paparazzi and stuff is people remembering that you are a real person.  I feel like people forget that sometimes and forget privacy and respect.  It's important for you to remember that I am a real person, have feelings and all that crazy stuff.  I just think this movie is really gonna prove that to people.  It all is real.

Q: You play different characters [Miley Stewart, Hannah Montana] and that might be confusing to some people.  What is the difference?

Miley Cyrus: It's all very confusing. None of them makes sense.  I think the cool thing about the movie is we got to take away from the persona a little bit. It's not so separate. It shows that, realistically, you're not going to be able to have this double life and really keep them as separate as you want. It has proven that, as much as Hannah changes and as much as Miley changes, again, it's all the same person.  The Hannah life really does start effecting Miley Stewart and starts making her the person that she was always so against.  The reason that she had this double life was so that she could not become that person, not obsess with material things and be so obsessed with Hollywood and what she's become and not remember who she is.  I do have a lot going on but it's always important to bring it back to what's important and that's who you are and your friends and your family.  Especially, throughout the show, me and Emily have been working together for a long time and it just shows that even your friendships changes as you change and it's important to respect each other. 

Q: Billy Ray, what mechanisms do you have in place to make sure Miley does the dishes and keeps her head about her?

Billy Ray Cyrus: I didn’t see her do the dishes.

Miley Cyrus: Ha, ha, ha!

Billy Ray Cyrus: We both just love what we do. She loves acting, she loves singing, she loves writing songs. For the most part with Miley, I think part of it is staying real and remembering who she is and where she comes from and what she’s all about and that’s part of the magic of this film. As my dad told me when I was a little boy, it’s important to always be aware of your current surroundings and where you’re at, at any crossroads of life, and always looking forward to the future and knowing where you want to go. But, most importantly, never forget where you come from. And again, that’s the theme of this movie. It’s getting back to your roots and remembering who you are and why you’re here.

Q: Were there any wardrobe malfunctions on set?

Miley Cyrus: I stayed covered the entire time.  Nothing messed up so nothing happened to me.

Q. Miley, you will perform "The Climb" at the Academy Of Country Music Awards ceremony. Have you thought of creating a Country album?

Miley Cyrus: I would like to do that at some point because that's where I'm from.  I think I was really happy to go back to Nashville and get to write a little bit more. That song's just so important so I will. I feel it has a little Country vibe to it anyway.  A lot of those songs do because it went so well with the movie. But yeah, at the ACM's it'll be cool. We're doing a couple of different performances. I want them all to look different even though I'm doing the same song, but for them to all have their fun ways that different people can relate to them. It is a song that is so universal.  It doesn't matter what kind of music you like or what kind of person you are or what you're used to listening to or if you know me or not.  It doesn't matter. I think, either way, you can be inspired by it. So each way, I want to make it relatable to that group. But, most of all, keep the inspirational part of it for sure.

Q: How different is Miley in real life and on screen?

Miley Cyrus:  Oh no!  You've got to turn these off! [referring to recorders]

Emily Osment: That's a good point.  When we made the movie we went back to Franklin which is Miley's hometown and I got to see her farm and go see where she grew up and the movie is parallel to that.  It's about her going back home and regaining her roots.  It's pretty similar.

Jason Earles:  I think Miley is very similar.  At least my relationship with her is very similar in real life to the show.  I sort of look at her like an annoying little sister sometimes but the truth about Miley, and it's been the same since we started, is that she really doesn't have a filter.  What she says is what she actually means. So you always know where you stand with her and there's something very charming about being that honest.

Miley Cyrus:  If you understand me, it's very cute! [laughter] It's adorable.  My parents love it and my publicist really likes it so that's good [more laughter].

Q:  Are you looking forward to playing other roles?

Miley Cyrus: This summer I'm working on a movie that Nicolas Sparks wrote for me and you never really hear that the movie is written before the book.  It's kind of a weird way to do that but he actually wrote the movie before he wrote the book and he wrote it with me in mind so, I've been lucky to play parts that relate to me and this doesn't at all.  I have my issues but not as bad as this chick so I'm happy to play someone that's kind of out there and not someone that I'm like so I can actually see if I'm a good actress or not or if I'm just good at playing myself.  So, we'll see how that goes.

Q: Emily says she wants to be slaughtered in a movie. Lucas say he’s looking for a more edgy role.

Miley Cyrus: Emily wants to be slaughtered. Can we please quote that. I wanna stay alive in pretty much ninety percent of my movies. Slaughtering isn't exactly what I'm goin' for.

Q: Have you thought about a sequel yet for this film and what other 2009 plans do you have?

Miley Cyrus: Hopefully just to continue to do different movies and I have a tour in mind for this year and I'm excited about that.  And, for a sequel, I feel like this is a TV show and we got really lucky about having the material to make one movie and, to do another one, I feel like it takes away the reality of it all.  And that was the point of this.  People that are in normal high schools look at this and see a blonde wig and say, “Oh that's not real, that's not reality,” which is completely true.  You're not gonna be able to live that life and I can't live that life forever. I feel it was very clever the way that we revealed the Hannah Montana secret but, did it make the show completely unrealistic and not be able to come back to the show?  We're continuing to do season three and then we all wish to do a season four and I would love to do that if the time is right and that is what everyone agrees on.  So, I don't know if I would do another film but I would love to do another season.  That would be what we would all agree on.

Q: What is the biggest misconception about you?

Miley Cyrus:  I get a lot of those, I'll tell you. I don't know.  I feel like people say they're grateful for their fans and they're so happy to be doing what they do and they love it, but there's a difference between loving your job and living only for your job, and I think people always will say that I'm over-working and over-exposed and what I want is all the attention and that's not true.  What I love is the art of it all and that's why I always say I want to go off and do other things at some point when the time is right. My dad tells me it's all about the time. If the time isn't right, nothing is going to fall into place. [To dad] I do listen to you every once in a while.  I feel like, once the time is right, I'll be able to do those things.  And, I just want people to realize, I really am grateful for what I do and I really do care about the fans.  I can't help it if there are forty photographers outside my house.  I try to keep my life as private as I can but I definitely don't do what I do for the attention.  Because, if I knew, coming into this, that I would have all those people outside my house, I might have just given myself a second thought.

Q: Do you go home to Tennessee to get away like she does?

Miley Cyrus: I wish I had more time to. That was the longest I was in Tennessee since I left and it was awesome and I really hope I can move back there at some point because that's what I want.  I just want a nice house there where I can really escape. But it was great.  As much as I worked, at times Peter would say, “Can't you just stay in Nashville for a little while and not be working on the weekends?” There were times for three or four weeks straight, I was in Nashville and it really made me miss home.  So, I hope I can go back at some point for sure.

Q: What would you say to teens who want to come to Hollywood? Should they pursue their dreams or maybe go to college?

Jason Earles: Go to college, live your life, be a normal person.

Miley Cyrus: I say do it! Be a freak, go to Hollywood! [laughter] Oh gosh.  I'm sorry PMK!

Peter Chelsom: There's a scary statistic.  If you ask seven-year-olds what they want to be when they grow up, 70 percent say "a celebrity".  And, for what, they don't even know. If something comes out of this film with “Life's a climb but the view is great,” in other words, it's all about the work, then the film's done its job.

Miley Cyrus: Ooooo, so profound.

Peter Chelsom: No respect.

Miley Cyrus:  No filter.

Q: What is your comfort level being a role model?

Miley Cyrus: For me, I find there's two different things.  If you look at me as a role model, I agree with it.  You look at me as an idol, I don't.  Because, an idol, for me is someone that you want to replicate, you want to be them.  I don't wish that on anyone to lose what they have personally because that's when your spark is lost.  What I think people like about me and the way they relate to me is because I don't try to change and I haven't let what I do for a living become my life and completely affect me. What I do personally in my life is not necessarily to be reported but it doesn't mean that it's not going to be.  I'm going to make mistakes and I would not trade that for anything because I always say that the minute you stop making mistakes is the minute that you stop learning.  If I ever stop doing that, we're all in trouble because that's what life is all about.  I never want to disappoint people and my decisions sometimes not only disappoint other people, but disappoint myself as well.  But, there's times I'm going to do that and, if I don't, then all of a sudden I'm not real and then you really can't look up to me.

Q: Lucas, so many young guys wanted your role. What do you think was special about your screen test with Miley that got you the role?

Miley Cyrus: [aside to Lucas]  I was soo nice to you.  Don't lie.

Lucas Till:  I remember when I first found out I was going out to L.A. to screen test and I was nervous and couldn't eat for a freaking week beforehand and I was expecting a little bit more of a different attitude, let's just say that...

Miley Cyrus:  From me?

Lucas Till:  Yeah, and you walked in and you were just a normal girl.

Miley Cyrus:  I'm the coolest!  Leave me alone!

Lucas Till: But she was just a normal, sweet girl and that made it so much easier.

Miley Cyrus:  Yeah. I was on my best behavior.  I was doing all my commenting on my text to my mom and I believe one of my things that I said was [leaning over and covering both of Lucas' ears] He's hot! [laughter].  Another one of the guys that came in was a friend of mine and I was looking at him and I'm like “I love you so much but no, because that's like awkward because you're my friend” and I worked with him on "Big Fish" when I was eight years old, so it's just weird. So, Lucas is an okay looking guy and we thought maybe, with some hair and make-up and what CGI can do, it'll work.

Lucas Till: Ooooooo.

Miley Cyrus:  And he was a good actor. If we needed the other guy to come in and do voice-over for him, we thought that would work too so it was awesome. We really worked it out together and Peter's an amazing editor so… [laughter]

Emily Osment: Oh my God!

Q:Do you ever want to take on another persona to escape the paparazzi?

Miley Cyrus: I think that would be fun every once in a while but just being myself is what I love and, if I ever had to change and become someone else to live this life, I probably would want to go home and just stay home because I feel like, when you love what your job is, this is so much more than a job to me.  It is my life but it's not everything I eat, sleep and breathe.  I love it and when I'm working, it's the best thing ever and music is my number one passion and I love making movies, but you can't let it completely control you because, otherwise, you're just a puppet on a string and you don't have any of that reality anymore.  If Peter would have asked me to play Miley, I probably would have said “Who is that?” If you take on a persona, you don't know who you are anymore.  So, it's just about still knowing who you are.

Q:  Do you have a favorite quote that motivates or inspires you and are you involved in any philanthropic organizations?

Miley Cyrus: Well, my dad always said that “a trying time is no time to quit trying.”  I think that's deep.  He didn't make it up.  It was on a church sign at home so I would love to give him credit, but he told me about it so it's still good.  So, thank you First Baptist or whoever you are.  That's a good quote to remember and for a charity that I do is my granddad died, this is the third year.  It was on the 22nd [of March] so that was a hard day and he was like my best friend so I have a foundation called The Pappy Cyrus Foundation which is my granddad so it's everything we did from The City of Hope, we're working with all kinds of different people. We actually did a couple of trips back and forth to the White House. That's one of the reasons I was at the inauguration was so we could get all of American involved.  It's something that's so important.  We deal with homeless shelters.  When I was on tour in 2007, my best friend died of cystic fibrosis and it was right after my granddad had died, so I just had a hard time with cancers and that kind of stuff.  So that's mostly who I work with. Then I did a tour with The Jonas Brothers and we ended up raising two and a half million dollars for City of Hope and that all went to cures, not just to kids personally and studies, and it was really amazing watching the process.  We got to go to the hospitals and watch them do all these crazy things.  We're sitting there looking at live cells being placed and watching this and it was amazing. It was just one of the coolest experiences, so that's what I work with.

“Hannah Montana The Movie” opens in theaters on April 10th.