Teen show Hannah Montana which enjoyed a stellar run between 2006 to 2011, launched Miley Cyrus' career not just in front of the camera, but also in the public eye. For the unversed, Miley, who played Miley Stewart as well as her on-stage alter ego Hannah Montana, shared screen space with her real life father Billy Ray Cyrus, who essayed the role of Robby Stewart across the four seasons that the Disney channel show was on air. Miley's mother Tish Cyrus, recently opened up on how the one of a kind opportunity came to be.

Tish Cyrus reveals how Billy Ray Cyrus landed the role of Robby Stewart

Tish Cyrus recently appeared on an episode of the podcast, Call Her Daddy along side oldest daughter Brandi Cyrus. Tish ended up revealing how she was instrumental in enabling the opportunity of having the real life father-daughter reprise their relationship on screen for Hannah Montana. 

She said, "Hannah Montana was just different. And I don’t think anyone could’ve ever anticipated it or thought how big it would be...I brought Miley out to audition for Hannah and she had gotten it. And then one of the casting directors said a joke, like, ‘Ugh, too bad we can’t afford her real dad.’ And I said, ‘Oh, maybe you can.’" Elaborating how she got then-husband Billy on board for the show, she explained to him that though the role would indeed be a pay cut, it would ensure that the whole family stays together, referring to the former couple's four other children who were at the time being brought up in Toronto.

Did Hannah Montana 'destroy' the Cyrus family?

In a 2011 interview with GQ, Billy Ray Cyrus had made a strong statement about how Hannah Montana had essentially "destroyed" his family. His exact words were, “It destroyed my family. I'll tell you right now - the damn show destroyed my family.”

Responding to the same, Tish said, "“Absolutely not...I just think he was having a moment". Echoing her mother's take on the comment, Brandi added, "Not at all ... I mean the family’s not destroyed, first of all. We’re doing great."