Miley Cyrus has officially made history as the youngest person ever to be named a Disney Legend. And rightfully so.
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Every two years The Walt Disney Company bestows the highly-coveted title on selected individuals who have significantly impacted the company. Over the years, this has included singers, songwriters, animators, Walt Disney Imagineers and business leaders.
During this years annual D23 fan convention, one of those honorees was Miley Cyrus, who rose to fame on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, playing the role of Miley Stewart and her popstar alter-ego Hannah Montana.
The show, which began in 2006, when Miley was just 13 years old, basically raised an entire millennial generation. With it’s iconic oooh-ooooohhh yeaaaaah scene changes, slapstick comedy, fake Malibu beaches, enviable walk-in closet, and endless teen life lessons — just to name a few.
Before Cyrus took the stage to accept the honor, a tribute video featuring commentary from John Travolta, Bret Michaels, and Chappell Roan kicked off the Disney Legend’s induction ceremony. Afterwards Cyrus was welcomed on stage by Lainey Wilson, who sang a cover of the Hannah Montana theme song, "Best of Both Worlds.”
As the audience roared with applause, Cyrus got emotional as she began to pay homage to her Disney roots.
“I’m definitely going to cry,” Miley tearfully said after accepting her award. “I’m gonna let everybody get on a little Disney Legend secret. I’m the one that tells you what you’re not supposed to know. And what I want to say, is that legends get scared, too. I’m scared right now, but the difference is we do it anyway, and all of you can do that every single day. It’s legendary to be afraid and do it anyway. There is no such thing as failure when you try.”
Cyrus then unveiled that she had two different speeches prepared. “One long, if I’m the bada** I’m supposed to be. And one short, if I get scared.” And despite her earlier omission, and speech not being terribly long, it’s safe to say she fittingly chose the bada** route.
After going through the process of how Hannah Montana came to be, and joking about how she "definitely wasn't created in a lab" as a "Disney kid,” as well as detailing that she wasn't initially cast in the role, saying "I had gotten a taste of what my life could be, and from that moment on, I did not want anything else.” Cyrus went on to express that now, while “A little bit of everything has changed... at the same time, nothing has changed at all.”
“I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana,” she continued, referencing her hit Disney Channel show, which ran for four seasons through 2011, and sparked the spin-off Hannah Montana: The Movie in 2009 and Best of Both Worlds Tour in 2011. "In so many ways, this award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing loyal fans, and to everyone who has made my dream a reality. To quote the legend herself, 'This is the life.’”