Lucy Hale auditioned for the title role of 'Hannah Montana' before Miley Cyrus was cast.
The 35-year-old actress is these days best known for having starred in teen drama 'Pretty Little Liars' but revealed that the audition made her want to succeed in showbiz was for the Disney Channel juggernaut that propelled 'Flowers' hitmaker Miley, 32, to global fame.
Speaking on Buzzfeed's 'The Puppy Interview', she said: "Oh my gosh, I've auditioned for 'Pitch Perfect', 'Hairspray', 'Hannah Montana', '50 Shades of Grey', 'The Substance'.
"I feel like, because I’ve lived in L.A. for almost 20 years, everyone who gets the role, it’s meant to be their thing. But for every ‘yes’ to an audition, there’s like a lineup of 200 ‘no’s. I should probably go back through my journals and see all the things I’ve auditioned for. [With 'Hannah Montana'], it was a couple of years before they cast Miley.
"I remember the audition. It was a taped audition in Tennessee, and it was the one that made me want to be an actress. I remember it so clearly; it was really cool."
The Disney Channel sitcom ran from 2006 until 2011 and followed Miley as a schoolgirl who led a secret double life as the titular pop star, and spawned a cinematic film and a sell-out tour as it became a billion-dollar franchise for the company.
Other actresses who auditioned for the part before Miley was cast included Daniella Monet - who later found success opposite Ariana Grande and Victoria Justice in 'Victorious' - and Taylor Momsen, who would go on to star in 'Gossip Girl'.
Shortly after the 'Hannah Montana' audition, the 'F*** Marry Kill' star appeared in a guest role on 'Drake and Josh' for Nickelodeon and recalled being "super nervous" to deliver her single line on set.
She said: "I was super nervous. In the scene, Drake [Bell]’s character asks, ‘What’s your name?’ And I say, ‘Hazel!’ And he replies, ‘Like the nut?’ And I go, ‘uh-huh!’ That was it. Groundbreaking. My career skyrocketed after that, so it’s all thanks to that moment."
