Lainey Wilson says Hannah Montana gig shaped her career

Lainey Wilson credits her teenage years as a Hannah Montana impersonator with giving her the drive and determination that helped fuel her rise to country music stardom.

In a recent interview with Extra TV, Lainey explained she spent her teenage years providing entertainment at children's parties dressed as Miley Cyrus' Disney Channel alter ego, and she learned a lot from the experience.

She told Extra: “It taught me a lot. It taught me that if I really wanted to do this thing that I was going to have to go get it myself and nobody was going to do it for me.”

The Heart Like a Truck singer's teenage career move came about by chance, but she proved to be very popular.

She explained: "My eighth-grade teacher needed somebody to dress up like Hannah Montana and come to her little girl's birthday party. And I went, I bought the wig and I already had the portable sound system, and I dressed up as Hannah Montana. I impersonated her for five years from eighth grade to 12th grade. I did three or four parties a weekend.

"Lainey Wilson would open up the show and then run behind a tree and change into my Hannah Montana get up… I went through several wigs… Finally, after, like, year five, Hannah Montana got a good wig.”

Lainey has spoken to Miley about her impersonation and praised the trailblazing performer, who she presented with a Disney Legend award in 2024.

She said: “I think a couple years ago is when I got an opportunity to tell her about my Hannah Montana journey, but since then we've talked.

"I look up to her for a lot of different reasons, but I'll tell you what. I just think Miley is... she's good as gold. I think she's an incredible storyteller, and just the way that she's blazed her own trails and done her thing.

"And actually, I have a documentary coming out on Netflix on April 22 that also speaks to a little bit of my Hannah Montana journey and just shows a little bit of, like, my behind-the-scenes of that.”

Meanwhile, after making her movie debut as a grocery store assistant manager in Reminders of Him, Lainey is keen to do more work on the big screen.

She said: "Loved it. Loved it. And I'm excited to do more of it. I mean, it honestly, like, songwriting, you get to kind of, like, step in other people's shoes and tell a story from that perspective. And that's kind of how I felt with this.”

Lainey is set to continue her rise in country music with a live performance at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, where Miley will be honoured with the Innovator Award - a full circle moment for Lainey and her Hannah Montana beginnings.

Hear Lainey Wilson and more of your favourite country artists on iHeartCountry NZ by using the player below.