When he was just 16 years old, David Archuleta rocketed to teen pop stardom after being named the first runner-up of “American Idol” Season 7 in 2008.
With millions of Americans fawning over his angelic voice, bashful boy-next-door persona, and megawatt smile, it’s no surprise that Archuleta soon found himself booking a string of cameo appearances on teen-focused shows like Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” and Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” after rising to prominence on the hit reality singing competition.
Now 35, Archuleta reflected on his brief-but-memorable guest starring role on “Hannah Montana” while attending the premiere of the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” in Los Angeles on Monday (March 23).
Archuleta Says He Still Gets Approach by Fans Who ‘Loved’ His Duet with Cyrus
GettyWhile Disney Channel aired the Miley Cyrus-led series for four seasons from 2006 to 2011, Archuleta specifically appeared on the 14th episode of Season 3 – titled “Promma Mia” – where he famously performed a duet (“I Wanna Know You”) alongside Cyrus’ titular main character.
Despite the fact that his brief cameo 15 years ago was but a drop in the bucket of what would eventually become the legacy of “Hannah Montana,” Archuleta told PEOPLE that he still gets approached by fans of the beloved series today.
“It’s wild that it’s been 20 years,” he told the publication at the L.A. premiere. “[I] was only on one episode and the song, and all these years later people still love it and remember it.”
“People still come up to me and say, ‘I loved your episode of “Hannah Montana,”’” he added.
While the show produced countless so-called “bangers,” from its “Best of Both Worlds” theme song to the Taylor Swift-penned “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” from “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” Archuleta maintains that his duet with Cyrus remains his all-time favorite.
“I love the song we did together, ‘I Wanna Know You.’ I also really liked, ‘If We Were a Movie.’ And the theme song is a classic. That’s why I would watch it,” he revealed. “I would go home and be like, ‘I wanna hear the theme song.’”
Archuleta’s One Regret From His 2009 ‘Hannah Montana’ Cameo
GettyDespite looking back fondly on his “Hannah Montana” cameo, Archuleta similarly revealed that he does have one regret from the experience.
“Oh gosh, I would say you should go have sushi with Miley when she invited you,” he told PEOPLE after being asked if there was anything he’d change about his 2009 appearance on the show.
It was an offer Archuleta first recounted in his newly published memoir, “Devout.”
“I just wrote a book and I talk about ‘Hannah Montana,’” the musician divulged. “And there was this moment where Miley invited me to get sushi with them and I said, ‘No, I’m okay.’”
If he could turn back time, Archuleta added that he’d encourage his younger self to “go have sushi with Miley.”
Regardless, the singer recalled his experience on the show as “epic.”
“It was so fun,” he said during a 2025 radio interview on the “Zach Sang Show,” adding, “I did not realize how long just one episode would last with people.”
The “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” is available to stream now on Disney+, including “never-before-seen archival footage” from the hit Disney Channel sitcom.
