For six seasons, Jason Earles played Jackson Stewart, the lovable, perpetually put-upon older brother of Miley Cyrus’ pop star character on “Hannah Montana.” But Earles was hiding a secret of his own: he wasn’t a teenager at all. The actor, now 48, recently revealed on the debut episode of the “Best of Both Our Worlds” podcast that he lied about his age during the audition process, telling producers he was 18 when he was actually 28 years old and already married.
Earles admitted he almost didn’t audition for the part, knowing the character was written as a 16-year-old. “The character’s 16. Nobody’s going to buy it,” he recalled thinking. But with encouragement from casting director Lisa London, who had already been told a smaller fib about his age, he walked into the room and claimed to be 18. “I was desperately afraid that I was going to be fired and recast because I had a big secret,” Earles explained on the podcast. The gamble worked, and he booked the role opposite a then-13-year-old Cyrus.
The secret was held for longer than expected. According to writer-producer Douglas Danger Lieblein, even key crew members didn’t discover Earles’ real age until roughly halfway through the first season, around episode eight. The reckoning came on a show night when a high-level network executive confronted him directly. “I remember one of the higher-up network executives showed up and was like, ‘Hey, so you’re 28. And you’re married?'” Earles recounted. He confirmed both, pointing out that the woman he was seen with on set was indeed his wife, Jennifer. The executive then issued a stern, half-joking warning: “Let’s go ahead and keep it that way for a few years.”
For the remainder of the show’s run, Earles was effectively forced to keep his “entire life” secret from the world. The situation led to awkward and humorous moments, particularly when fans would see him in public with his wife. “I remember going to dinner with my wife at the time and people coming up and saying, ‘You must be so proud of your son,'” Earles said, adding dryly, “Sex is off the table tonight. Thank you. I appreciate that”.
Despite the initial fear, the outcome was positive. Showrunner Steven Peterman later thanked Earles for the deception, admitting, “We would have gotten nervous if we’d found out during the pilot and we would have recast you” . Lieblein echoed that sentiment, stating that the show wouldn’t have been the same without him. As “Hannah Montana” celebrates its 20th anniversary with a special airing March 24 on Disney+, Earles’ revelation adds a fascinating new chapter to the show’s legacy .
