Exclusive Interview: Miley Cyrus

Friday, November 14, 2008

When Miley Cyrus first went to Hollywood six years ago, no one could understand her Tennessee accent and they didn't like her deep voice.

Now the multi-million dollar 15-going-on-16-year-old old artist has Hollywood at her feet for the same things she was criticised for.

Her life is like an episode of Hannah Montana come to life.

“They said they didn't like my accent and my low voice was an issue for them and they wanted me to be more girly,” she told the Herald in an exclusive interview in New York yesterday.

“But I said to them that I wouldn't change a thing to make it in this business, and I didn't, and I hope that sets a trend for other young girls,” says confident Miley.

This week, she announced that she has invited the Obama girls, who are also huge fans, to appear on the show and she is thrilled they've accepted.

Flattered

“I'm so flattered that they're fans of Hannah too. You know, I can really feel for them with the way they're going to find themselves in the spotlight now because of their dad, and that's different to what they've known and they're not always going to like it because they won't have chosen it for themselves.”

Miley Cyrus looks like most teenagers in her washed jeans, stripey tank top and the new flat black riding boots she's just treated herself to, on a quick shopping spree in Manhattan – that's except for the huge retinue of agents, managers and assistants that now accompany her everywhere.

She's in New York to promote Bolt, the new animated movie in which she is a voice alongside John Travolta.

After four years in the limelight playing Hannah Montana, the school girl who's secretly a huge pop star, Miley appears to be taking a lot of this in her stride, thanks perhaps to the fact that she is the daughter of country icon Billy Ray Cyrus and that her godmother is Dolly Parton.

“On my way here, I walked past a huge poster for the movie Bolt, with my name beside John Travolta's and I have to say I gulped a bit at how unreal this seems to me at times. I loved being a voice on Bolt. I love dogs, I mean I have six of them at home.”

It's going to get a lot crazier for the teenager, who turns 16 next week. The Hannah Montana movie is due to open around the world in the spring and her legion of teenage fans is champing at the proverbial bit to see her in it.

Last year's Hannah Montana concert tour was a spectacular success, practically a phenomenon, with many parents paying way over the top prices to touts just to get their hands on tickets for their children.

She was like a modern Shirley Temple, but with good management.

Like several of the other child stars developed by Disney such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake, Miley is keen to spread her wings as an artist and is wants to develop her career beyond the Hannah Montana screen

Character

“The Disney Channel is such a loving place. They really give the actors the opportunity to sing and act and I'm so thankful that right now I'm living my dream and doing what I always wanted to do.

“I'd love to more stand-up comedy and I'd love to paint, but having said that the future for Hannah Montana is very bright.”

Not unlike the future for Miley Cyrus. Coming from a showbiz family, her parents are both very protective of her as well as being very involved in her career.

Her mother is her manager and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, who had a big hit with Achy Breaky Heart, collaborates with her musically. But at home, it's regular parent-teenage stuff.

Giggles

“I change my mind every day whether I'm a daddy's girl or a mommy's girl, depending on who's letting me away with things,” she giggles.

“Dad is also my business partner, and he's also my oldest friend in both meanings of the word! But at the end of the day, I'm glad they're my parents.

“I'm a normal teenager when I'm at home. I love to watch cartoons, I love movies with love stories, but sometimes I scream and bang the door and get grounded for it and I'm glad for that too.”

She is also good friends with the teenage stars of high school musical, particularly the girls. “We all know what it's like to be in the limelight and we support each other. No one is threatened by the other's success.”

There are rumours that she is dating one of the squeaky clean Jonas Brothers, who is 20, but she won't be drawn on it.

“If there's a dude I'm into”, she drawls, getting very southern, “I try to keep it low key, 'cos it tends to damage things, so I prefer to keep it DL – down low.”

She also wears what is called a Purity Ring in the US on the fourth finger of her left hand which signals to others that she plans to keep her virginity until she is married.

“I wear it because I believe in it, but it also says something about how you treat people and how you want to be treated. When you're a celebrity, some people automatically don't want to like you. Some people want me to be really grown up and it scares others.

“You know, I'm very grateful for all I've been given, but I don't know if you can ever really get used to all the fame.I think my life is going to change a lot after the movie comes out. I've just come back from a trip to Germany and I was really surprised at the huge turnout, even though the series is only just getting started there, so I'm a bit less known than I am in the US.”

Like most teenagers she says she loves shopping for shoes, especially flat boots and

“I think I must own every colour of Converse known to man.”

She is also a huge fan of Johnny Cash and The Killers, so just like any other girl her age, she’s got her own pin-up posters too.