Lucy Hale Reflects on Auditioning for Hannah Montana and Career Beginnings

Lucy Hale reflects on auditioning for Hannah Montana which solidified her desire to act.
She revealed her taped audition happened at age 14 while living in Tennessee.
Despite rejections from roles like Pitch Perfect and Hairspray she persevered.
Her acting debut on Drake and Josh marked the start of her successful career.

Lucy Hale recently shared in an interview with Buzzfeed’s The Puppy Interview that she once auditioned for the lead role in Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, a part that eventually went to Miley Cyrus.

Known for her role in Pretty Little Liars, Hale recalled that she auditioned when she was just 14 and living in Tennessee. It was a taped audition, and while she didn’t get the part, she considers it a significant moment in her life. She said,

“It was the audition that made me want to be an actress. I remember that vividly, it was very cool.”

Lucy Hale Reflects on Auditioning for Hannah Montana and Career Beginnings

Looking back on her career, Hale reflected on nearly two decades in Los Angeles filled with countless auditions, admitting that she faced far more rejections than successes.

She humorously noted,

“For every ‘yes’ to an audition, there’s like a lineup of 200 that said ‘no.’”

In addition to Hannah Montana, Hale tried out for other big projects like Pitch Perfect, Hairspray, 50 Shades of Grey, and the Oscar-nominated film The Substance.

Lucy Hale got her first acting break at 15 with a single line on Nickelodeon’s Drake and Josh. She joked about her character’s short-lived role, saying, “In the scene, Drake [Bell] was like, ‘What’s your name?’ And I go, ‘Hazel!’ And he goes, ‘Like the nut?’ And I go, ‘Uh-huh!’ Groundbreaking.” Even though it was brief, that experience played a big part in kicking off her career.