Miley Cyrus


Given the first name Destiny at birth and born to Mr. Achy-Breaky Heart himself, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus didn't have much of a choice except to pick up the remnants of her father's brief pop-star fame and put her own permanent stamp on the entertainment world. First nicknamed Smiley for her pleasant demeanor and then officially known as Miley from that point on, young Ms. Cyrus got some early showbiz experience as a tot by singing with her dad on stage at concerts. When the family packed up and moved to Toronto, Canada for the production of Billy Ray Cyrus's television series Doc, Miley joined him on the show, and after they watched a performance of Mamma Mia! at a Toronto theater, the young girl mind was made up on a career in show business.
In 2003, Miley Cyrus entered the strange world of Tim Burton by taking on a supporting role in his film, Big Fish. From there, she met up with the family-oriented suits at the Disney Channel, who were in the midst of developing a series called Alexis Texas at the time. The concept revolved around a schoolgirl who also happened to be an outrageously popular music star. Miley initially auditioned to play the protagonist's best friend, but once producers caught a glimpse of her acting and singing abilities first-hand, they offered her the lead role instead. History would follow.

Miley Cyrus becomes Hannah Montana

The newly christened Hannah Montana hit the Disney Channel in 2006, and it was an immediate success. As Disney realized they had created not only a hit television show but also a brand for kids, they developed a marketing strategy that would send Miley Cyrus and Hannah in different pop-culture directions with the intent of making her the idol of every tweenage girl in America. As the only performer to have record, film, TV, and advertising contracts through Disney, Miley saw her popularity hit the stratosphere with singles like "The Best of Both Worlds" and the debut Hannah Montana soundtrack album.

After the first album topped the U.S. Billboard 200, Miley Cyrus's subsequent albums would follow suit. Besides additional Hannah Montana albums, which featured her singing in character, Miley also released 2007's Meet Miley Cyrus and 2008's Breakout, the latter of which featured her own original material. These two albums would also top the U.S. Billboard 200, and their success would propel the singer-actress along the hugely successful Best of Both Worlds tour. While Miley suffered some damaging PR after a racy Vanity Fair shoot, the box office returns from the 2008 3-D concert film, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds, solidified that she was, in fact, a star with staying power.

Miley Cyrus in The Last Song

Hannah Montana's pop-culture reign continued into 2009 with the show's third TV season and the release of Hannah Montana: The Movie. Miley added to the frenzy with the release of her premature autobiography, Miles To Go. The book would reach sales of over 2 million.

Even with the hoopla over Hannah still going strong, Miley Cyrus made plans to shift her career away from her manufactured alter-ego and concentrate on herself. With the help of chick-lit auteur Nicholas Sparks, who wrote the source material, Miley took the lead role in the 2010 film The Last Song, which cast her as a one-half of a teen romance with co-star Liam Hensworth. As another symbol of her evolution into adulthood, Miley released her new album, Can't Be Tamed, which was accompanied by a provocative music video that attracted controversy. She would follow up these projects with an onslaught of new film projects, including Wings, LOL, Family Bond, and Wake.

miley cyrus smokes a bong on camera

But is she going to throw it all away? Just five days after her 18th birthday, Miley was videotaped smoking a bong and rolling around on the floor. The bong apparently contained salvia, a legal hallucinogenic that is legal in California. Still, this can't be her career. Check out the video here at TMZ. Collapse