Hannah Montana was a massively successful show that aired on Disney Channel from 2006 to 2011, making household names of its cast, including Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Emily Osment.
The show follows the life of Miley Stewart, a teenager who leads a double life as a famous pop star named Hannah Montana. The show was an instant hit and even became one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Disney Channel.
However, despite the show's massive success, it has been reported that much of the cast did not earn as much money as one might expect. Just how much money did the supporting cast of Hannah Montana make in comparison to the star, Miley Cyrus, and how did the cast feel about the discrepancy?
How Much Money Did Miley Cyrus Make While Filming Hannah Montana?
According to some reports, Miley Cyrus was paid $15,000 per episode in the first season of Hannah Montana. Her salary was later increased to $250,000 per episode in the fourth and final season.
With 98 episodes of Hannah Montana produced in total, it's estimated that Miley made anywhere from $1.47 million to $24.5 million from the show, depending on her initial salary and the number of episodes she appeared in each season.
While this may seem like a lot of money to the average person, it pales compared to the amount of revenue generated by the show. According to a report by The Guardian, Hannah Montana's merchandise sales totaled $1 billion in 2008 alone, with the show's popularity continuing to grow in the following years.
It's unclear how much money Miley was slated to receive from the merchandise, but she surely had something in her contract to collect from the sale of it.
Miley's success with Hannah Montana launched her into superstardom. Not only could she act, but she was also getting ready to launch a career in music as Miley Cyrus, finally saying goodbye to performing as Hannah Montana.
In an interview with CBS News, Miley credited the show with giving her the platform to pursue her passion for music. "It allowed me to have a greater voice in the world because I had more eyeballs on me," she said.
How Much Money Did The Cast Of Hannah Montana Make Per Episode?
According to some reports, the supporting cast of "Hannah Montana" earned significantly less than Miley Cyrus per episode. Emily Osment, who played Miley's best friend, Lilly Truscott, was reportedly paid $15,000 per episode in the show's final season.
Jason Earles, who played Miley's older brother Jackson, was said to have earned $18,000 per episode in the same season.
The fact that the cast of Hannah Montana did not earn more money from the show has been the subject of much debate and criticism. In an article for HuffPost, writer Taylor Pittman argued that "the fact that the cast of Hannah Montana was paid so little for their work highlights a larger issue within the entertainment industry: the exploitation of young performers."
Taylor also notes that many child actors are not fully aware of their rights and are often taken advantage of by studios and production companies.
It's also worth noting that while these figures may seem relatively small compared to Miley Cyrus's salary of $250,000 per episode, the supporting cast members were still making a significant amount of money for their work on the show compared to their peers in the industry. The salaries also likely increased as the show became more popular and successful.
Despite not being paid as much as Miley, most of the cast looks back on their time on the show fondly. In an interview with E! News in 2019, Emily Osment discussed the financial impact of Hannah Montana on her life.
"We all made good money on that show. It was a great thing for all of us, and we were all very grateful for it," said Emily.
In an interview with People in 2018, Jason Earles reflected on his time working on Hannah Montana and the impact it had on his life. "It was a huge part of my life, and it's something that I'll always be grateful for. It was an amazing experience, and it's led to so many other opportunities for me," said Jason.
How Much Money Did The Cast Make For Appearing In The Hannah Montana Movie?
The Hannah Montana movie was released in 2009, and like many movie productions, the cast was likely paid a fee for their appearances in the film. However, the exact salaries of the cast members have not been disclosed publicly.
According to some reports, Miley Cyrus was paid $15 million for her role in the Hannah Montana movie. This would have been a significant increase from her salary for the television show.
Other cast members in the Hannah Montana Movie, such as Emily Osment, Jason Earles, and Billy Ray Cyrus, likely received a lower salary than Miley Cyrus for their roles in the film. However, the exact figures are unknown.
Mitchel Musso, who played Oliver Oken on the Hannah Montana television show, did not appear in the Hannah Montana movie, which was released in 2009. The reason for his absence has not been officially confirmed by Disney or Mitchel himself.
However, a few possible explanations exist for Mitchel's absence from the movie. One theory is that Mitchel was busy with other projects at the time of filming, as he was also starring in the Disney XD series Pair of Kings during that time. Another possibility is that the filmmakers chose not to include his character in the movie, possibly due to creative decisions or budget constraints.
In an interview with Popstar! Magazine in 2009, Mitchel expressed disappointment that he was not included in the Hannah Montana movie. "It would have been great to be a part of it, but unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. It was kind of a bummer, but I'm happy for everybody that did get to go and film it," said Mitchel during the interview.
Despite his absence from the movie, Mitchel remained a part of the Hannah Montana franchise and continued to appear on the television show until its end in 2011. He also continued to work as an actor and musician, releasing several albums and appearing in other television shows and movies.
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