Hannah Montana

Fictional Pop Star

Hannah Montana is the title character of a popular TV show which debuted on the Disney Channel in March of 2006. Hannah is a famous pop music star who secretly leads a "normal" life as a mildly nerdy Malibu teenager named Miley Stewart, who suffers all the usual complications that come with hiding a famous alter ego. The show created a popular confusion of Hannah Montana with Miley Cyrus, the actress who plays her. (Hannah's father and manager, a former country music star, was played by Cyrus's real-life father and manager, and former country music star, Billy Ray Cyrus.) The show was an immediate hit and led to a nationwide "Hannah Montana" music tour in 2007, with Miley Cyrus performing as Hannah. The album Hannah Montana was released in 2006, with Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus following in 2007.

Extra credit: Hannah Montana is sometimes compared to another Disney show for teens, Lizzie McGuire, which made a star of teen actress Hilary Duff... Country star Dolly Parton has appeared on the show as Hannah's Aunt Dolly... Hannah Montana is no relation to NFL quarterback Joe Montana.