Before Miley Cyrus was out here swinging on wrecking balls and making us cry with “The Climb,” Lucy Hale almost snatched her blonde wig and cowboy boots!
The 35-year-old actress recently revealed that, at the tender age of 14, she auditioned for the lead role in Disney Channel’s iconic Hannah Montana. That’s right—Lucy almost had the best of both worlds!
“It was for Miley Cyrus’s part,” Lucy spilled to BuzzFeed. “I was still living in Tennessee, 14 years old, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to become the next queen of Disney. This was 21 years ago—yes, do the math, I know, I’m ancient.”
She added, “I remember the audition so vividly. It was a taped audition in Tennessee. It was so cool. Like, peak cool.” (Cue dramatic flashback to baby Lucy practicing her ‘Y’all!’ in front of the mirror.)
Hollywood Is a Savage Place
But Hannah wasn’t the only role that slipped through Lucy’s fingers. She also auditioned for The Substance, Pitch Perfect, Hairspray, and even Fifty Shades of Grey! Imagine a world where Lucy Hale was out here tying up Christian Grey instead of chasing “A” in Pretty Little Liars. Wild.
“For every ‘yes’ to an audition, there’s a line of 200 that you’ve heard a ‘no’ for,” Lucy said, probably while staring into the distance, contemplating the heartbreak. Hollywood, man. Brutal.
So, while we can’t unsee Miley as Hannah, we’re officially starting a petition for Disney+ to release Lucy’s audition tape because the world deserves to witness this alternate reality. Justice for Almost-Hannah!