It’s been almost twenty years since Disney Channel’s hit TV show Hannah Montana first graced our screens.

The teen sitcom chronicled the life of high school student Miley Stewart and her best friends Oliver Oken and Lily Truscott while she juggled a double life as famous pop star Hannah Montana, her glamorous alter ego.

Fans are familiar with the infamous ‘Disney Channel curse’ – where child stars who get their big break on the outlet are trolled for turning crazy, after putting on an innocent front for the cameras.

Pop singer Miley Cyrus is often hailed as Disney’s golden girl who maintained success after child stardom – and paved the way for Disney successors including the likes of Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.

But Cyrus’ fame has not come without scrutiny – the notoriously sexualised Wrecking Ball music video disappointed the parents of millions of Disney fans who grew up with the star.

And as another former cast-member hits the headlines for the wrong reasons, is there truth to the infamous Disney Channel curse? And where are the full cast of 2006 teen sitcom Hannah Montana now?

Despite achieving more fame than any of us could ever imagine by the tender age of just 13, Cyrus was no stranger to fame – she’s the daughter of country legend Billy Ray Cyrus, whose 1992 single Achy Breaky Heart became the first single ever to achieve triple platinum status in Australia.

Billy Ray and his ex-wife Tish Cyrus share two biological daughters: Miley, 30, and Noah, 23 – and Billy adopted Trace, 34, from Tish’s previous relationship as his own when they married.

While Miley is the most famous, she comes from the famous Cyrus clan – where music manager mum Tish has managed both her and her sister from the very start of their entertainment careers.

The Tennessee native’s older brother Trace is also a successful musician in his own right, serving as the backing vocalist of pop punk band Metro Station.

Miley’s sister Noah was nominated a Grammy for Best New Artist at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021, although lost out to Megan Thee Stallion.

The 30-year-old Hannah Montana star embraced a squeaky clean image when she first played protagonist Miley Stewart, but slowly started to reject this expectation, and released the 2010 single Can’t Be Tamed to poke fun at critics.

She boasts three UK number 1 hits: Wrecking Ball, Adore You and Flowers, a disco-pop hit as part of her newest album, Endless Summer Vacation – but her music hasn’t always been well-received.

Controversy first arose when she posed almost nude under Vogue photographer Annie Leibovitz’ supervision, at just 15 years of age.

And she even fuelled a Twitter war with the late Sinead O’Connor in 2013 after Miley told Rolling Stone that her nudity-filled video for hit song Wrecking Ball was inspired by Sinead’s Nothing Compares 2 U track.

However, Sinead was not impressed by the reference or the clip, which saw the star swinging on a wrecking ball naked, and penned a public letter to the young star.

But most of Miley’s musical endeavours have proved successful, and she even paired up with British pop icon Dua Lipa for their duet Prisoner.

She has even covered the iconic 1973 hit Jolene, originally recorded by godmother Dolly Parton and is also famed for her short-liived marriage to Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth, from 2018-2020.

Miley’s most novel release Used to Be Young was released last week, which critics predict will fare well.

Raised in the Roman Catholic faith, she was born to fellow actor Eugene Osment and English teacher mother Theresa.

Her brother Haley Joel is an alum of the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. Like his younger sister, he started off as a child star, famed for his performance in Forrest Gump which earned him a Young Artist Award.

Playing the coveted role of TV’s favourite sidekick, Osment boasts an impressive CV, and unlike Cyrus, she didn’t get her big break on the Disney show, but on Spy Kids 2 alongside Spanish actor Antonio Banderas.

As the best friend of Miley Stewart, she also morphes into an alter-ego, adopting the alias of Lola LaFonda, famed for her vast array of neon-coloured wigs.

But what is Osment up to these days?

The 31-year-old actress has been in receipt of various awards, just like her on-screen best friend Cyrus, but her career hasn’t been restricted to playing supporting characters.

Osment’s talents led to her appearing in a plethora of Disney productions, becoming a household name of sort. This includes the movie Dadnapped, including fellow products of the Disney empire David Henrie, in addition to her co-star Jason Earles, who played Miley’s brother.

In fact the starlet has even dabbled in music – releasing thee pop rock banger All the Way Up in 2009 as part of her debut EP All the Right Wrongs, peaking at 10 in the Australian charts.

The Los Angeles native took a break from active for a while to pursue higher education in her home state at Occidental College, but now stars in CBS sitcom Young Sheldon as Mandy McAllister.

Osment announced her engagement earlier this summer on Instagram to a man named Jack Anthony.

In the Disney hit show, Musso’s character is infatuated with Hannah Montana until Miley, his close friend finally reveals her true identity – but he still maintains a close friendship with Cyrus, as one of her only male friends.

Another Disney Channel veteran, Musso, 32, is best known for his roles as Oliver Oken in Hannah Montana, King Brady on Pair of Kings and as Jeremy Johnson in the cartoon Phineas & Ferb.

The Texas native’s older brother joined forces with Miley Cyrus’ brother Trace to form the band Metro Station, after the pair met on the Hannah Montana set.

Unfortunately, while Musso played a humble highschooler on-screen, over the years he has made himself known to authorities, suggesting the infamous Disney Channel curse rings true for some.

His first run in with the police was in 2011, just months after he finished filming Hannah Montana.

Soon after he was arrested for a DUI in California, aged 20 at the time and his role in Disney production Pair of Kings was forced to come to an end as a result of the charge which didn’t align with Disney’s squeaky clean image.

The former child actor was charged with public drunkenness and theft in his hometown of Rockwell last week, being released on a bond of $1,000.

TMZ reported law enforcement officers were called to a motel there, where the Hannah Montana actor was allegedly acting ‘belligerent’ and had reportedly stolen a bag of chips from the market.

Earles, 46, was the oldest cast member to be playing a teen at the time of filming, playing 16-year-old Jason Stewart despite being 29 at the start of filming in 2006.

A California native like Osment, Earles’ age allowed him to obtain an education prior to starting on the show, and got a degree in theatre arts from Rocky Mountain College in Montana.

By the season premiere of Hannah Montana, Earles had a number of big names on his portfolio, having had minor roles in Malcolm in the Middle, MADtv and American Pie – but his career really took off as the annoying older brother of protagonist Miley.

His Hannah Montana fame helped him appear in other Disney productions – namely Kickin’ It, Dadnapped alongside his co-star Osment, and most recently High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

He has been twice-married, first wedding Jennifer Earles, a partnership which lasted from 2002 to 2013, coinciding with the filming of Hannah Montana.

Earles celebrated his nuptials once again in August 2017, marrying social media personality Katie Drysen.