Miley Cyrus reveals how playing Hannah Montana made her question her self-worth

After years of trying to be very "third person" about the Disney show that launched her career, Miley Cyrus reveals how she really felt about playing teen icon Hannah Montana. Photo / Getty Images

Despite being the face of a hugely successful Disney series, Miley Cyrus has revealed the lasting impact of playing Hannah Montana.

The US singer, who is currently promoting her edgy new album Plastic Hearts, starred in four seasons of the Disney channel show that made her a household name.

Teens flocked to the series in which she played a regular girl ― Miley Stewart ― who led a secret pop star life, transforming into her alter ego ― Hannah Montana ― whenever she was on stage.

The show may have wrapped in 2011 but nine years later, Cyrus recently told Howard Stern that playing the dual role did "a lot of psychological stuff" to her self-worth.

"Some of my audience was so attached to a character, which wasn't me," the 28-year-old said on The Howard Stern Show Wednesday.

"So, then that does a lot of psychological stuff, where it's like, 'Am I valuable as myself?'

"The whole show's premise was that when I had my normal hair and looked like myself, no one gave a s**t about me," she explained. "And then when I got all dolled up and put a wig on, all of a sudden, I'm being chased by people chasing my tour bus."

"That's a lot to put on a kid. To go, 'When you're yourself, no one gives a f***.'

"But then when they go and kind of groom you to look like something else ― something that you're not ― and you're really young, and it's a lot of makeup and, you know, wigs and all this stuff, it does something psychologically."

The singer spent years rebelling against the squeaky clean image she'd held for four seasons, ditching the blonde wig and pop princess get-ups for a sassy pixie cut, latex and leather.

Still, Cyrus said she's "not mad about it" because she knows "how to lay down a wig like nobody else's business."

And while she hasn't always looked back fondly on her star-making role, she's learned to embrace it.

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"When my peers are having these experiences and accepting themselves because of something that I demonstrated while they were a kid, that's when I go, 'S***, I f**king am Hannah Montana," she continued, referencing how the show impacted the talents of Lil Nas X and Troye Sivan.

"Really, Hannah Montana was not a character," she added. "The concept of the show, it's me. I've had to really come to terms with that and not be third-person about it."

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Earlier this year the singer revealed she'd even be open to reprising the role in the future.

"You know what honestly, I try to put that wig on all the time," she told People back in August, when asked about a potential reboot.

"She's just in storage collecting dust and I'm ready to whip her out … The opportunity will present itself."

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"I definitely would like to resurrect her at some point. She needs a big makeover because she's kinda stuck in 2008, so we'll need to go shopping with Miss Montana," the Grammy-nominated singer continued.

"But that's sometime in the future and hopefully I'm directing it."