Name: Miley Cyrus
Profession: Actress, Singer
Birth Date: November 23, 1992
Height: 5' 5"
Destiny Hope Cyrus, most commonly known as Miley Cyrus, was born on November 23, 1992, in Nashville, Tenn. In January 2008, she officially changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus. Cyrus is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and Leticia "Tish" Cyrus. She has two elder half-brothers, Christopher Cody and Trace. She also has an elder half-sister, Brandi, a younger brother, Braison, and a younger sister, Noah, who is also an actress. Cyrus was named Destiny Hope because her parents believed that she would accomplish great things. She gained her nickname "Miley" because she kept smiling ("Smiley") as a youngster. In an interview with USA Today, Cyrus was quoted as saying her faith is "the main thing" and is the reason why she works in Hollywood. When interviewed by Parade, she added that she attends church regularly with her family. Cyrus is a lover of animals and has many pets, including horses, dogs, cats, fish and chickens.
Cyrus became interested in acting at age nine while her family was briefly living in Toronto, Canada. Her first acting role was as a guest star on her father's PAX television series "Doc." In 2003, she played Young Ruthie in Tim Burton's "Big Fish," in which she was credited as Destiny Cyrus. She was also featured in Rhonda Vincent's music video for "If Heartaches Have Wings," and appeared on "Colgate Country Showdown" with her father, who was hosting the program.
A fateful appearance as the character Hannah Montana in the Disney Channel series "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" followed in 2006. Her character proved so popular that a spinoff series called "Hannah Montana" was launched shortly thereafter. In the series, Cyrus is a fun-loving California teen named Miley Stewart, who just so happens to moonlight as a world-famous pop star. Only Hannah's family and her two closest friends, Lilly (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchel Musso), know the truth about Hannah's remarkable secret life.
Cyrus was 11 years old when she originally auditioned for the lead and the "best friend" roles on "Hanna Montana." Disney executives are said to have judged her to be "too small" at the time, however Cyrus was persistent in her desire to be part of the show, so Disney called her back for further auditions when she turned 12. According to Disney Channel Executive Vice President Gary Marsh, Cyrus was chosen for "Hannah Montana" because of her energetic and lively performance and was seen as a person who "loves every minute of life," with the "everyday relatability of Hilary Duff and the stage presence of Shania Twain." Cyrus spent several years trying to get rid of her Southern accent, but in the end, Disney wanted her to revive it. Later, in an unusual twist, Cyrus had to audition with her own father, Billy Ray, who was soon cast as her dad on the series.
In addition to her acting role, Cyrus also performs in character as Hannah Montana for albums and concerts. On June 22, 2006, a performance of a "Hannah Montana" concert at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon at the Orlando, Florida Walt Disney World was recorded for the Disney Channel. Cyrus then spent the rest of 2006 opening for The Cheetah Girls on 20 dates of their 39-city tour. Cyrus also appeared in the Disney Channel "Hannah Montana" promotion, "Hannah Montana's Backstage Secrets," in which she portrayed Hannah Montana in a fictional interview set in the show's canon.
Walt Disney Records released the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack on October 24, 2006. The soundtrack included eight of the songs that Cyrus performed as Hannah Montana. Cyrus also signed a four-album major record deal with Hollywood Records for her own albums.
On June 26, 2007, exactly eight months after the release of the first soundtrack, Cyrus released a double album, "Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus." The first disc served as the second "Hannah Montana" soundtrack, while the second disc was Cyrus' debut album as herself. She co-wrote, credited as Destiny Hope Cyrus, eight of the ten songs.
In October, 2007, Cyrus started her "Best of Both Worlds Tour," performing both as herself and her character Hanna Montana. The 54-city concert tour made headlines due to a heavy demand for tickets that left many parents empty-handed when ticket brokers snatched up seats, raising prices.
By December 2007, Cyrus was ranked 17th on the Forbes' 20 Under 25 list of the Top-Earning Young Superstars, with annual earnings of $3.5 million.
She would further cement her name in stardom when her concert film, "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour," was released in 2008 and drew record crowds. Shortly thereafter, Cyrus released her sophomore album and first release outside of the "Hanna Montana" franchise. The album, entitled "Breakout," was released on July 22, 2008. Just like her first release, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts.
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