The Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special has been a major event for fans of the beloved Disney Channel series, but not everyone who was invited chose to participate. Mitchel Musso, who played Oliver Oken on the original show, revealed on The Joe Vulpis Podcast that he turned down the offer to appear because the event was not, in his words, presented correctly.
Musso Explains His Decision To Skip The Special
Musso was candid and colorful about his reasons for declining. “Of course they asked me. But, like I said, it wasn’t presented correctly,” he said. “It’s too long of a wait to do it in a way that isn’t even close to, in my opinion, correct.” His vision was for something far more substantial: a proper episode of the show, or even a movie. “Do an episode. Do the show. The set’s still there,” he said. “It would have been everything. I would have dropped everything, eat, breathe, sleep it.”
He made clear that his commitment to the material is still total. He’d even need a wig to get back into character. “I need a wig,” he joked. “I’d want to feel the part again. I’d want to put on that little polo again, and wear the plaid shorts with the goofy shoes. I’d want to play the character.”
Musso was not the only original cast member absent. Emily Osment, who played Lilly, also skipped the special, citing scheduling conflicts with her CBS sitcom Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage.
A Show That Defined A Generation
Hannah Montana ran on Disney Channel from 2006 to 2011 and was one of the defining cultural touchstones for an entire generation of viewers. The 20th anniversary special aired on Disney+ in March 2026 and drew 6.3 million views in its first three days, reuniting Miley Cyrus with her dad and co-star Billy Ray Cyrus on a replica of the original set. Musso separately posted a heartfelt tribute to the show on Instagram during the anniversary, calling it a series that “wrapped around my heart and never really let go.”
His absence from the special is notable given how central Oliver was to the original series. His candid explanation at least gives fans some context for why the reunion did not include the full original cast. For more Disney+ coverage, check out our report on the Disney Channel and Disney entertainment world.
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