Hannah Montana boss explains why original cast were excluded from the special

1 April 2026, 12:31 | Updated: 1 April 2026, 12:32

By Sam Prance

Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, Jason Earles and Moises Arias were all missing from the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.

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If you're wondering why the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special excluded the original cast, we have an answer.

On March 24th, the highly-anticipated Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special came out on Disney and fans could not get enough of it. Not only did it see Miley Cyrus bring back her Hannah Montana hair and sing classics like 'The Best of Both Worlds' and 'The Climb' but it also featured a sit-down interview between Miley and Alex Cooper.

On top of that, there were guest appearances from Billy Ray Cyrus, Tish Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Chappell Roan but fans were disappointed that beloved main Hannah Montana cast members like Emily Osment (Lilly), Mitchel Musso (Oliver), Jason Earles (Jackson) and Moises Arias (Rico) were nowhere to be seen.

Now, Ashley Edens, who worked as a showrunner on the special, has explained why there wasn't a full cast reunion.

Read more: Hannah Montana's Jason Earles admits he lied about his real age to get cast on show
Read more: Here's why Emily Osment and Mitchel Musso aren't in the Hannah Montana Special

Watch the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary trailer

Speaking to The Wrap about the decision not to include Hannah Montana stars like Emily, Mitchel, Jason and Moises, Ashley explained: "We toyed around with what was the most heart-led for Miley. If maybe we had a two-hour special, there would have been room, but I really think this is about Miley and her experience."

Ashley then reiterated: "I hope that comes across in the special. It wasn’t that she didn’t want anyone else there — I think her love for all those classmates comes through, but…in the hour special, we really just leaned into Miley and her experience and it being through her lens."

Mitchel Musso, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment and Jason Earles promoting Hannah Montana. Picture: Jesse Grant/WireImage via Getty

Elsewhere in the interview, Ashley also revealed that Chappell and Selena weren't the only popstars who were meant to cameo in the special. She said: "Sabrina [Carpenter] was going to be a part, but she wasn’t available that week."

She added: "[Sabrina] really wanted to be a part, because obviously, much like Chappell, she grew up on Miley and Hannah, and had a relationship there. She was just not available."

Despite not being in the special, both Jason Earles and Moises Arias attended the premiere. Meanwhile, Emily Osment and Mitchel Musso both released statements.

What do you think? Did you enjoy the special?