Fans noticed Mitchel Musso was missing from the “Hannah Montana” 20th anniversary special. Many wondered why he didn’t take part in the celebration.
Now, the former Disney Channel star has opened up about the reason behind his absence.
Musso portrayed Oliver Oken on the hit Disney Channel series, as one of Miley Stewart’s closest friends during the show’s four-season run. His explanation offers new insight into why viewers didn’t see him return for the anniversary tribute.
Mitchel Musso Said His Participation ‘Didn’t Work Out’
In an interview for the “Joe Vulpis Podcast,” Mitchel Musso explained the reasons why he didn’t join Miley Cyrus in celebrating the two decade anniversary of the groundbreaking and beloved Disney Channel series.
Musso revealed he had a scheduling conflict, but he would have made time for the reunion if the anniversary was celebrated with either a new series episode or a movie.
“The kid in me was banking on it. Like ‘I can’t wait for us to all be on set again.’ And it just didn’t work out that way,” Musso explained.
“Do something other than what was done. Like, do an episode. Do the show. The set’s still there. Or it can be dressed very quick with somebody who’s a pro, and they did that for that and just did it differently.”
“It is what it is. But it wasn’t the right thing and I was busy doing something that was more important, right?”
He concluded, “But it would have been way more important if it had just been an episode, or a movie, or a whatever. Of course, that would have been more important.” He would have loved to be back in character as Oliver, saying, “It would have been everything.”
“It didn’t turn out that way… Of course, they asked me. But as I said, it wasn’t presented correctly. And I’ve been waiting 10 years. You know, the people they say 20. My break’s been 10. So, it’s too long of a wait to do it in a way that isn’t even close to, in my opinion, correct.”
Miley Cyrus Wanted to ‘Reclaim’ Hannah Montana After 20 Years
In the “Hannah Montana” 20th Anniversary special, Miley Cyrus looked back at the show that made her a worldwide superstar and changed the trajectory of her life forever.
She told Variety, “A lot of artists feel like to become the next version of themselves, they have to leave something behind,” Cyrus says. “But I’d rather be more like a gorgeous patchwork blanket. I’d rather take every little piece of all the things that I’ve been and create a mosaic of exactly who I am now — not trashing any of that past but allowing it to come with me.”
“I love the present, and I love the future. But the past is not somewhere I love to live too much,” Cyrus concluded.
While many fans were hoping to see the full original cast reunited for the milestone celebration, Mitchel Musso’s comments help fill in one of the lingering gaps about the special. Even with some familiar faces missing, the anniversary highlighted just how much the series still means to fans, who continue to celebrate it years after its original run.
