Lucy Hale revealed that she auditioned for the lead role in Hannah Montana before Miley Cyrus was cast, an experience she credits with solidifying her desire to act. During BuzzFeed’s The Puppy Interview, Hale reflected on the numerous roles she auditioned for over the years, including Pitch Perfect, Hairspray, 50 Shades of Grey, and The Substance.
“Oh my gosh, so many,” she said. “I feel like, because I’ve lived in L.A. almost 20 years, everyone who gets the role is always, it’s meant to be their thing, but for every ‘yes’ to an audition, there’s like a lineup of 200 that you heard a ‘no’ for.”
Hale recalled that her Hannah Montana audition happened when she was 14 and still living in Tennessee. “It was a couple years before they had cast Miley in it,” she said. “I remember the audition. It was a taped audition in Tennessee. It was the audition that made me want to be an actress. I remember that vividly.”
Though she didn’t land the role, Hale soon made her television debut at 15 on Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh, playing one of Drake’s dates. “I was very nervous. In the scene, Drake’s character is like, ‘What’s your name?’ And I go, ‘Hazel!’ And he goes, ‘Like the nut?’ And I go, ‘uh-huh!’ And that’s it.”
Hale later gained recognition for her role as Aria Montgomery on Pretty Little Liars. While reflecting on her early auditions, she acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the industry. “I should probably go back in journals and look at all the things I’ve auditioned for.”
