It’s been 20 years since “Hannah Montana” first graced our screens, and for many, it was the most pivotal Disney show of the 2000s. Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) had to juggle being a regular kid while having an alternate pop star persona, Hannah Montana. It’s a heavy burden, but fortunately, she has plenty of support, including from her older brother, Jackson (Jason Earles).

Fans of “Hannah Montana” might not have realized at the time that Earles was concealing a significant fact. Like many actors, he fibbed about his age to secure roles, demonstrating that sometimes a small white lie can be advantageous. Jackson Stewart is arguably Earles’ most renowned character, but he’s far from inactive since the show wrapped up in 2011. Here’s a glimpse into his career journey following the end of “Hannah Montana.”

While for many young stars on “Hannah Montana,” the series marked their breakthrough, Jason Earles already had a substantial resume. Despite being older than he claimed, Disney executives overlooked his prior work, which included roles in “National Treasure” and “American Pie Presents: Band Camp.” His youthful look made him a perfect fit for the show, and he leveraged that success into various other ventures.

He also made a guest appearance in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” as camp director Dewey Wood. The show not only launched new stars like Olivia Rodrigo but also welcomed back former Disney favorites like Earles. Alongside him were Corbin Bleu from “High School Musical” and Meg Donnelly from “Zombies.” The series included clever nods to “Hannah Montana,” delighting observant adults with the camp director’s resemblance to Miley Stewart’s older brother.

During his “Hannah Montana” era, Jason Earles was married to Jennifer Earles, a fact he kept under wraps. This secrecy occasionally posed challenges, as public outings with his wife led to surprise since many were unaware of his marital status.

Later, he’d have a guest role on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” as camp director Dewey Wood. While the show introduced a lot of newfound talent, including future pop megastar Olivia Rodrigo, it was also an opportunity to bring back a lot of former Disney stars. In addition to Earles, the series also featured Corbin Bleu from “High School Musical” and Meg Donnelly from “Zombies.” The show also includes some meta references to “Hannah Montana.” It’s one of the many things only adults would notice on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” where the camp director mysteriously resembles Miley Stewart’s older brother. 

As mentioned previously, Jason Earles was actually married to Jennifer Earles during his time on “Hannah Montana.” But it was something he had to keep on the down-low. It proved to be a problem because he would still be seen out in public with his wife, but no one knew Earles had a wife. 

In the aforementioned podcast episode, Earles provided one awkward anecdote: “”I remember going to dinner with my wife at the time and people coming up and saying, ‘You must be so proud of your son.’ And I was like, ‘Well, all right. Sex is off the table tonight. Thank you. I appreciate that.’” The pair got married in 2002 but eventually divorced in 2013 after “Hannah Montana” had gone off the air. 

Earles would later get together with Katie Drysen, and appropriately enough, he proposed at Disneyland. The pair married in 2017, and several of his “Hannah Montana” co-stars, like Moises Arias and Emily Osment, were at the ceremony. 

The major revelation that Jason Earles lied about his age to get on “Hannah Montana” actually occurred on the inaugural episode of his “Hannah Montana” rewatch podcast, “Best of Both Our Worlds.” That’s not to be confused with the podcast “Best of Both Worlds,” which is about finding balance between work and family. Earles’ major revelation was a great way to kickstart what’s bound to be a terrific resource for all of the “Hannah Montana” fans out there.

From “NCIS” to “The Office,” many cast members like to reflect on their past roles. Earles is joined by Douglas Danger Lieblein, who was a writer and consulting producer on “Hannah Montana,” as well as Shannon Flynn, who directed several episodes and worked as a dialogue coach. While the podcast is still in its infancy, there will surely be more headline-making nuggets of information dropping regularly.

It’s only a shame that, despite attending the “Hannah Montana: 20th Anniversary Special” premiere, Earles isn’t in the special itself (and neither were many other regular cast members). “Entertainment Tonight” asked Earles about the exclusion on the red carpet, and he revealed, “I think the special just sort of evolved into more of a celebration of the journey that Miley’s had as an artist, which is well-deserved. She’s the whole reason this thing even happened, and everything good in my life has sort of come because of that, so I’m really excited to celebrate her.” But if fans want more of Earles, there are 98 episodes of “Hannah Montana” that “Best of Both Our Worlds” has to get through, and this time, he doesn’t have to fib about any of it.