Hannah Montana fans stunned as Jason Earles reveals his real age while playing a teen
Jason Earles has revealed he was 28 years old, and already married, while portraying teenage Jackson Stewart on Hannah Montana, a detail that has surprised fans ahead of the show’s 20th anniversary.
Speaking on his podcast, Earles shared that he initially downplayed his age during auditions to better fit the role of a 16-year-old.
Casting director Lisa London reportedly encouraged him not to emphasize the truth, allowing him to secure the part. According to Earles, producers didn’t discover his real age until around episode eight of the first season, when a network executive confronted him.
Jason Earles reveals he lied to Hannah Montana producers about his age. They found out 8 episodes in that he was not a teenager but actually 28 and married. pic.twitter.com/NhMCy7pxUU
Despite the revelation, the production team chose to keep him on the show, largely due to the strong chemistry among the cast and Earles’ maturity, which proved helpful while working alongside younger co-stars like Miley Cyrus, who was just 13 at the time.
Earles also recalled humorous off-screen moments, including fans mistaking him for a parent while dining out with his wife, highlighting just how convincing his performance was. The story has since gone viral, with fans marveling at how convincingly he played a teenager despite being well into adulthood.