Lucy Hale reveals she auditioned for ‘Hannah Montana’ before Miley Cyrus

Lucy Hale may be best known as the artsy, crime-solving lead of Pretty Little Liars, but did you know she almost got her start as a fictional teen pop star?

While participating in Buzzfeed’s “The Puppy Interview,” Hale managed to tear herself away from the adorable, scampering dogs long enough to reveal some of the parts she auditioned for and lost out on throughout her career — including the titular role in Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana.

“It was a couple years before they had cast Miley [Cyrus] in it,” she recalled. “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. It was very cool.”

As for other roles that passed her by? Hale also cited Pitch Perfect, 2007’s Hairspray movie adaptation, 50 Shades of Grey, and last year’s Academy Award winner The Substance. Noting that she has lived in L.A. for almost 20 years now, Hale said, “For every ‘yes’ to an audition, there’s like a lineup of 200 that you heard a ‘no’ for.”

Though Hannah Montana didn’t work out, Hale eventually landed her first acting gig on another kids’ sitcom in the 2000s: Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh.

Hale, who was 15 when she briefly played a love interest for star Drake Bell‘s character, recalled, “I was very nervous. In the scene Drake’s character, he’s like, ‘What’s your name?’ And I go, ‘Hazel!’ And he goes, ‘Like the nut?’ And I go, ‘Uh-huh!’ And that’s it.”

“Groundbreaking,” she joked. “My career skyrocketed since then, so it’s all because of that.”

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Hannah Montana, the story of an ordinary tween (Cyrus) who lives a double life as a famous pop star, debuted in 2006 and went on to become a global phenomenon, running four seasons, launching Cyrus’ career, and spawning a world tour, concert film, and feature film. Thousands of girls auditioned for the lead part, and Cyrus herself nearly lost out on the opportunity because she was initially considered too young for the role.

But Disney eventually circled back to her for the gig, which she was up for alongside two other familiar names: Gossip Girl‘s Taylor Momsen and Daniella Monet, who went on to appear on Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 and Victorious. 

While reflecting on the missed opportunity, Hale made it clear that she has no regrets about losing Hannah, or any of the other parts. “Everyone who gets the role,” she said, “it’s meant to be their thing.”

Watch Hale dish on “The Puppy Interview” above.