It is unimaginable to imagine Miley Cyrus without Hannah Montana or Hannah Montana without Miley Cyrus, but this was almost the case!

Aside from Miley Cyrus, is there another actor you could imagine portraying Hannah Montana? Is there anyone else who could have done a better job hiding her identity with just a blonde wig?

The popular culture’s ‘Teen Queen’ of the 2000s rose to international fame thanks to the show, which was a big hit for Disney. At the time, children felt a strong emotional connection to Cyrus’ character, Miley Stewart, who was a regular student by day and a pop singer by night. The main plot point of the sitcom was Miley’s attempt to conceal her identity from those around her.

But what if we told you that another gifted actress was just inches away from taking Cyrus’ place in the spotlight? The Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams star, Taylor Momsen, was also a contender for the role, leaving Cyrus’ fans on the edge of their seats, wondering if they had missed out on a very different Hannah Montana.

Momsen, though, was actually content that she was not a part of the family-friendly program.

Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana

Taylor Momsen Almost Stole Miley Cyrus’s Role as Hannah Montana

Taylor Momsen claimed she was relieved Miley Cyrus was chosen for the lead role in Hannah Montana rather than her. She was nine years old when she and the ‘Pop Chameleon’ made it to the last round of Disney’s show auditions. Despite Cyrus’s success in landing the role, Momsen later admitted that it would have been difficult for her to live up to the expectations of a family-friendly teen idol.

In an interview (per Daily Express), the actress, 30, revealed:

“Honestly, if I’d have ended up as Hannah Montana, I don’t know if the show would have gone as well. I probably would have told them all to go f**k themselves by the time I hit 11. And I don’t know how that would have gone down.”

Taylor Momsen as Jenny in Gossip Girl
Moreover, Momsen stated that while it was “great for Miley”, she really liked her current situation and felt “really fortunate” to be able to be who she truly was.

At the time, she became popular because of her roles in the films How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams. Her portrayal of Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas made her a star even at the age of seven. Quite understandably, she was a contender for Hannah Montana.

Taylor Momsen Didn’t ‘Care’ About The Fame

Taylor Momsen called kid-friendly television series like Miley Cyrus’ Hannah Montana “pathetic”. Speaking with FHM (via Cosmopolitan), the Missouri-born actress revealed that, at the age of nine, she was vying for the role of Hannah Montana, but the We Can’t Stop hitmaker took it instead.
Hannah Montana cast (via Flickr)
Nonetheless, Momsen expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, saying to the magazine that it has allowed her to concentrate on her rock group, The Pretty Reckless. In her words:

“I’m not looking to be Miley f*cking Cyrus. I don’t care about the fame. I do it because I love music. I like making records and if people like them, then we’ll go along for the ride. I think the Disney bubblegum s*it that the world is living right now is pathetic. I thought we passed that repression.”

Cyrus’ real-life father, singer Billy Ray Cyrus, played her father in the show. The other cast members include Lily (Emily Osment),  Oliver (Mitchel Musso), and Jackson (Jason Earles).

Ultimately, Cyrus’ infectious charm and energy make it difficult to imagine anyone else playing Hannah Montana. But it is impossible not to picture Momsen in those iconic blonde wigs, ruling the Disney Channel universe.

You can stream Hannah Montana on Disney Plus.