'Hannah Montana' star Jason Earles’ biggest lie finally revealed

Disney fans might be shocked to learn that Jason Earles, the beloved brother on Hannah Montana, wasn’t quite the teen he appeared to be on-screen.

The 48-year-old actor revealed on the Best of Both Our World podcast that when he auditioned for the role of 16-year-old Jackson Stewart, he fibbed about his age.

He claimed that he was 18 when he was, in fact, 28.

“I was desperately afraid that I was going to be fired and recast because I had a big secret,” Jason admitted. 

He recalled the nerve-wracking moment halfway through the first season when a network executive finally uncovered the truth.

“The executive was like, ‘Hey, so you’re 28,’ and I was like, ‘I am.’ Then I had to explain, ‘Yeah, that girl I keep making out with? That’s my wife.’” 

At the time, he was married to Jennifer Earles, though that marriage ended in 2013, four years before he wed current wife Katie Drysen.

The Dadnapped star also opened up about the money side of his Disney days, admitting he didn’t earn as much as fans might think. 

Appearing on the Night School podcast, he said his contract was under a basic AFTRA agreement.

Notably, it was the “worst television contract you can be under”, meaning residual payments were limited.

“So, whatever they paid you above scale, they could credit back in your residuals,” he explained. 

Despite the tricky contracts and hidden truths, Jason’s portrayal of Jackson remains iconic.

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