Miley Cyrus.Photo: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrusis opening up about the “identity crisis” she suffered after playing the role of Hannah Montana.

Cyrus, 28, shared on Spotify’sRock This with Allison Hagendorfpodcaston Friday that the role had a big impact on her sense of self.

Cyrus went on to say that Hannah was “a character almost as often as I was myself, and actually, the concept of the show is that when you’re this character, when you have this alter ego, you’re valuable. You’ve got, like, millions of fans, you’re the biggest star in the world, and then the concept was that when I looked like myself, when I didn’t have the wig on anymore, no one cared about me, I wasn’t a star anymore.”

Miley Cyrus.John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

Miley Cyrus entertains fans during the TikTok tailgate party TikTok tailgate party, Super Bowl LV, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

“So, that was drilled into my head,” the “Prisoner” singer continued. “Like, without being Hannah Montana, no one cares about you. And that was the concept.”

Cyrus said she “really had to break that” mentality, adding that her albumBangerzwas her first foray into finding her identity outside of the Disney channel character.

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“And so I really had to break that,” she said, “and I think that’s maybe why I almost created a characterized version of myself at times. … I never created a character where it wasn’t me, but I was aware of how people saw me and I maybe played into it a little bit.”

In a December interview withRolling Stone, Cyrus said that she “felt like I was never going to amount to the success of Hannah Montana,” adding that she “had to evolve” because the character was “larger than life.”

“Really, Hannah Montanawas not a character,” she added. “The concept of the show, it’s me. I’ve had to really come to terms with that and not be third-person about it.”

Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana.DISNEY CHANNEL/BYRON COHEN

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Cyrus has still been able to look back on herHannah Montanadays with a lighthearted lens.

Earlier this week, Cyrusjoked around about the characteron social media withLil Nas XandMegan Thee Stallion.

The singer paid homage to her former alter ego in aTikTok duetwith Nas X and atweetabout a collaboration with Megan.

source: people.com