After Miley Cyrus reunited with her alter ego for the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special in March, one of her co‑stars explained why they were not on set.
Mitchel Musso, who portrayed Oliver Oken on the Disney Channel series, said a scheduling conflict prevented his participation. He added that he would have joined the reunion if it had been a new episode or a film.
“The kid in me was banking on it, like ‘I can’t wait for us to all be on set again,’ I told listeners on the Joe Fox Podcast. I’d prefer to do something that’s a bit different—perhaps an episode or a new show. The set’s still there, or it can be dressed quickly by a professional, and that’s what they did for this and it was handled differently.”
Musso went on to say, “It is what it is, but it wasn’t the right thing. I was busy with something else that I considered more important at the time. Perhaps if it had been an episode or a movie, it would have mattered more.”
The actor emphasized he would have “dropped everything” to step back into Oliver’s character, stating, “It would have been everything.”
“It didn’t work out that way… I was invited, but the format wasn’t right.” Musso added. “I’ve been waiting ten years for an opportunity like this. The show was a 20‑year celebration, and for me it felt like a decade’s wait, which is too long to be approached in a manner that doesn’t feel true to me.”
Emily Osment, who played Lilly Truscott, was also absent from the reunion. She explained that she was busy filming Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage but reflected on the privilege of having been part of a once‑in‑a‑generation television phenomenon such as Hannah Montana.
