Lucy Hale Says She Auditioned for the Lead Role in ‘Hannah Montana’: ‘Made Me Want To Be An Actress’

variety.com:

Lauren Coates Teen drama fans may know Lucy Hale as the stylish, crime-solving Aria Montgomery on “Pretty Little Liars,” but she almost played another iconic YA role: Hannah Montana.

Participating in Buzzfeed’s “The Puppy Interview,” Hale was asked about which roles she’s auditioned for that would surprise viewers, and she rattled off a number of movies, including “Pitch Perfect,” the 2009 version of “Hairspray,” and “50 Shades of Grey.” Among the titles Hale listed was “Hannah Montana,” the beloved Disney Channel series following a teenage pop star who juggles dual identities.

Though the title role in “Hannah Montana” would eventually go to then 13-year-old Miley Cyrus, Hale revealed she also auditioned for the part. “It was a couple years before they had cast Miley in it,” she explained. “I remember the audition.

It was a taped audition in Tennessee. It was the audition that made me want to be an actress. I remember that vividly, it was very cool.” Though she didn’t nab the part, Hale made her television debut at 15 on the Nickelodeon teen comedy “Drake and Josh,” where she played one of Drake’s dates. “I was very nervous,” Hale recalled. “In the scene, he’s like, ‘What’s your name?’ And I go, ‘Hazel!’ And he goes, ‘Like the nut?’ And I go, ‘uh-huh!’ And that’s it.