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Dolly Parton shared a sweet Hannah Montana throwback with her real-life goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary on Tuesday (March 24).
Parton, 80, appeared on the series as Aunt Dolly to Cyrus’ character. Cyrus played a typical teen who lived a secret double life as a famous pop star. Parton shared a clip from the show on her Instagram story, and wrote: “Reminiscing on my time as Aunt Dolly. When Hannah Montana came on the air and [Miley Cyrus], my little goddaughter, was the star of it, I was so proud of her. I thought she was sensational.”
“Darlin’, I am so sorry,” Parton says in the throwback clip previously shared on Disney Channel’s Instagram account. “I just forget sometimes. Being a teenage girl is harder than walking through a balloon shop with a porcupine purse.”
Cyrus, playing Miley Stewart, went on to seek advice from Aunt Dolly. Aunt Dolly told her, “nobody knows what’s around the corner. But I know one thing. if you keep yourself out of the game for fear of losing, there is no way on this earth you’re going to win.”
The highly-anticipated Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special made its debut on Tuesday, two decades after the iconic series premiered on March 24, 2006. The finale aired on January 16, 2011. Cyrus, 33, commemorated her breakout role in the heartfelt special, and she credited Parton with teaching her a “terrible habit” that helped bring the anniversary to life.
“I learned this terrible habit — but I actually think it was good advice — from Dolly,” Cyrus said in a recent interview with Variety. “She told me that if you want something to happen, promote it before it exists. Then no one can say no. So I just started promoting a ‘Hannah Montana’ 20th-anniversary special that literally did not exist.”
“Dolly is not only my idol because of her incomparable career—she’s also my role model because of her steadfast morals and values,” Cyrus shared in 2021, when Parton was named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people. “At her core, she is the definition of a humanitarian. She’s also the world’s most impeccably purposeful walking contradiction, having developed her iconic look after being inspired by the town tramp. Now she’s known as a saintly, even godlike, figure. ...There’s a theory that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but I wish everyone had the chance to meet Dolly Parton, because she’s even better than your sparkliest dreams. She may be my fairy godmother, but I think she’s that to everyone else too. I am happy to share her with the world.”