19 things you probably didn't know about Miley Cyrus
Abby Jones,Fiona Clair
- Miley Cyrus has been in the public eye since she was on the Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana" as a young teen.
- She was born Destiny Hope, but she legally changed her name to Miley based on her childhood nickname.
- Cyrus, who identifies as pansexual, said she came out to her mother at age 14.
- The singer used to have a YouTube web series, and she recently started her own talk show via Instagram Live.
Ever since her big break as the title character on the Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana" in 2006, Miley Cyrus has only grown in popularity.
She might famously be an open book, but there are still a few things that even her most dedicated fans might not know about her.
Here are some interesting things you probably never knew about Cyrus.
She originally auditioned for the role of Miley Stewart's best friend on "Hannah Montana."
According to Rolling Stone, Cyrus wasn't originally aiming for the titular role on "Hannah Montana."
She actually auditioned for Lilly, Miley/Hannah's best friend, a role that eventually went to Emily Osment.
She said she came out to her mother at age 14.
Cyrus has said she identifies as pansexual, and she told Paper magazine in 2015 that her mom has accepted her sexual identity since she came out to her when she was 14.
"I remember telling [my mom] I admire women in a different way. And she asked me what that meant. And I said, I love them. I love them like I love boys," Cyrus said.
She continued, "And it was so hard for her to understand. She didn't want me to be judged and she didn't want me to go to hell. But she believes in me more than she believes in any god. I just asked for her to accept me. And she has."
She founded a nonprofit called Happy Hippie Foundation.
According to its website, Happy Hippie's mission is "to rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, and other vulnerable populations."
Dolly Parton is her godmother.
Country legend Dolly Parton has known Miley's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, for decades, and she's also Miley's godmother.
Parton and Miley have performed together multiple times and even sang a duet at the 2019 Grammys.
She also told Paper magazine in 2015 that the country legend taught her "how to treat people well."
Elvis Presley is Cyrus' biggest music inspiration.
On a 2017 episode of the radio show, the "Zach Sang Show," Cyrus said, "My biggest inspiration is Elvis Presley, the King. And fashion icon."
According to Billboard, Presley inspired her "Younger Now" album, specifically the music video for the album's title track.
She has a heart condition called tachycardia.
Cyrus has written about having tachycardia, which causes a faster heart rate.
"The type of tachycardia I have isn't dangerous. It won't hurt me, but it does bother me. There is never a time onstage when I'm not thinking about my heart," she wrote in her memoir "Miles to Go" per MTV News.
Her half brother is Trace Cyrus from the band Metro Station.
Trace Cyrus shares a mother with Miley and he also has some musical chops.
He co-fronted the emo-electro band Metro Station, best known for their 2008 single "Shake It," and currently has a solo career in music.
Her name hasn't always been Miley.
Before legally changing it to Miley — based on her childhood nickname "Smiley" — her given name was Destiny Hope Cyrus.
Her father Billy Ray once explained the name's origin in an interview with Piers Morgan.
"... You know, her name was originally Destiny Hope, I had given her the name before she was born because I had a vision. I felt it was her destiny to bring hope to the world," he said.
One of her favorite outfits is the one she wore to the 2015 VMAs.
In the September 2017 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, she said her 2015 Video Music Awards look was one of her favorite red-carpet outfits to date.
She also added that her least favorite looks are pretty much anything she wore between 2008 and 2013.
She had an uncredited cameo in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2."
In 2017, Cyrus briefly joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe during one of the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" end-credit scenes.
She voiced a character named Mainframe, and director James Gunn said he wanted her for the role.
"I was watching 'The Voice' and I [thought] she's so likable and her voice is awesome, she's got the best voice," the director told reporter Sarah Ruhlman of Sarah Scoop. "And then I asked Kevin [Feige], what do you think about casting Miley Cyrus as the voice of Mainframe? He was like well if you think we can get her … and I got her to do it."
According to BuzzFeed News, there's also a chance that Cyrus' character will return in future MCU movies.
Cyrus and her dad have both been parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic
The famous satirist/singer-songwriter, "Weird Al" Yankovic, is known for his parodies, and songs by both Miley and her dad Billy Ray have been his subjects.
He created "Party in the CIA" based on Miley's "Party in the USA" and parodied Billy Ray's "Achy Breaky Heart" with "Achy Breaky Song."
Cyrus' hit song "We Can't Stop" was originally written for Rihanna.
Cyrus' first single from her "Bangerz" album, "We Can't Stop," introduced fans to a new era of her career.
But according to Billboard, the song was originally produced with Rihanna in mind.
In addition to acting and singing, Cyrus has also proven to be a talented visual artist.
According to the New York Post, Cyrus debuted her collection, dubbed "Dirty Hippie," during New York Fashion Week in 2014.
The loud and colorful artwork included pieces like a 5-foot-tall bedazzled bong.
While she was starring on the Disney Channel, Cyrus started a YouTube channel with her friend Mandy Jiroux.
In 2008, at the height of her "Hannah Montana" fame, Cyrus and her friend Mandy Jiroux started a YouTube channel for their web series "The Miley and Mandy Show."
They made videos for around two years where they answered questions, welcomed celebrity guests like Chris and Kyle Massey, and showed fans the behind-the-scenes life of a Disney Channel star.
She credits her "Bangerz" phase to working with her dad every day throughout her teens.
As with many child stars who continue a career in the spotlight into adulthood, Cyrus went through a so-called rebellious phase after "Hannah Montana" ended.
During her 2017 interview with the "Zach Sang Show," she said, "... That was really hard every day from like 11 to 18 ... I didn't get a school escape like most people. I went to work with my dad."
She continued, "... That's why like as soon as I turned 18, you guys wonder why I was like twerking at Juicy J shows. I had just spent 10 years every day with my dad and grandma."
Her iconic tongue pose was part of her rebellion.
During her "Bangerz" era, Cyrus was known for sticking her tongue out.
She told Billboard in 2017, "I was so embarrassed to be on the red carpet and so many of those f---ing disgusting photographers would tell me to blow a kiss, and that's not me! I don't want to blow you a kiss.
"I didn't know what to do with my face, so I stuck my tongue out, and it became a rebellious, punk-rock thing," she added.
She wrote a song for Hillary Clinton.
Cyrus wrote her single "Inspired" for Hillary Clinton during the politician's 2016 presidential campaign.
On a 2017 episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Cyrus got a chance to thank Clinton in person for inspiring her.
"Thank you, Hillary, for being a constant beacon of strength, hope, and determination for me and millions of other young women," the singer said.
Cyrus has a lot of pets.
Cyrus grew up on a farm in Tennessee, so it's not all that surprising that she's a big animal person.
As of August 2019, she had 15 pets: seven dogs, two horses, two mini horses, three cats, and a pig.
According to her 2017 "Zach Sang Show" interview her favorite of her seven dogs is named Emu and he "gets special treatment." He was even featured in her "Malibu" music video.
She started her own Instagram Live show called "Bright Minded: Live With Miley."
Back in March, Cyrus launched her own talk show on Instagram where she's interviewed experts and celebrities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Her show had a wide range of themes and guests, including her own therapist, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and fellow Disney Channel alums Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez.
In May, she told the WSJ Magazine, "This show has evolved so deeply from trying to provide some escapism to actually the opposite: to not escaping, to diving into deeper involvement with our community."
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