It's hard to believe that it's been two decades since Hannah Montana first premiered on the Disney Channel.
Videos by Wide Open Country
To mark the occasion, many of the show's stars gathered in Los Angeles for the premiere of its 20th anniversary special on Monday, March 23. Miley Cyrus, who played the titular character, was there with her mom, Tish, sister, Brandi, and fiancé, Maxx Morando.
But there was absence from the red carpet that stood out. Not only did this person play a major role in the series, but he's also Miley's real-life father, Billy Ray Cyrus.
Why Wasn't Billy Ray Cyrus at the "Hannah Montana" Premiere?
Art imitated life in Hannah Montana. Not only is Billy Ray the father of Miley in real life, but he also played Robby Ray Stewart, her on-screen dad, on the show.
Fans speculated why the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer wasn't at the premiere. However, he explained his absence on social media.
"Been in the studio all night in Nashville working on my new record with my youngins Braison and Noah preparing for our @todayshow performance Good Friday," he wrote in the caption. "Dang feels like this is my 'Sweet Niblets' Sweet 16 on the road to the Final Four!"
For anyone unfamiliar with the catchphrase, "sweet niblets" was a line that Billy Ray's character often said on the show.
Still, despite his absence in person, Billy Ray is in the special. Miley said she was "really excited" that her dad made an appearance "because I know how much our relationship means to everyone that watched the show."
She then references some of the drama in her family. "I think that when me and my dad are good, people, they feel better," she added. "It just feels good when the Cyruses are getting along."
Billy Ray Cyrus Had to Audition To Play Miley's Dad
As we shared last week, Billy Ray was not a shoo-in to play the father of Miley's character.
When the show was being cast, someone at Disney said, "Too bad we can't afford her real dad." Tish, who was married to Billy Ray at the time, said, "Oh, maybe you can."
Tish then told Billy Ray to come to California for an audition. She saw it not only as a juicy professional gig, but as a way "to reunite their family." He appeared in 99 episodes of the show, which ran from 2006 through 2011.
