Plenty of people have been feeling 2006-infused nostalgia as of late, and that's partially because of the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special. Streamable with a Disney+ subscription, the special sees Miley Cyrus reminiscing about the beloved show, and special guest stars and recreated sets are featured as well. Unfortunately, series alum Emily Osment wasn’t able to return due to her schedule, but that doesn't mean she's not still grateful for her experience on the show. In fact, Osment recently expressed that gratitude and surprised me by mentioning Alzheimer's disease in the process.
Even though Osment appeared in some projects prior to Hannah Montana, the Disney Channel series definitely boosted her notoriety. Since the sitcom concluded in 2011, Osment has worked consistently and is currently a co-lead on Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. While it’s been 20 years since Hannah premiered and 15 years since it ended, Osment is still grateful to the series. When asked by Entertainment Tonight how being on HM prepared her for where she is now in her career, Osment was honest:
Multi-cam is a skill that I’ve been able to take with me through a few different jobs, and I’m really grateful for it. It gives you a big sense of responsibility and memorization. And I’m hoping one day it’ll beat Alzheimer’s because of it. It’s a good practice for memory.
At first glance, her mention of the neurodegenerative disease is surprising, but it makes sense in this context. Osment has done a handful of multi-camera sitcoms, such as Hannah Montana, Young & Hungry, and now Georgie & Mandy. Considering episodes are filmed live in front of a studio audience, the pressure is definitely on to get lines right on the first try, or at least not mess up as much. So, given her work experiences, Osment's mind is seemingly quite sharp, and she appears quite confident in the notion that she won't have issues with Alzheimer's down the road as a result.
Emily Osment famously played the role of Lilly Truscott on all four seasons of Hannah Montana. The show finished up its run with 98 episodes, so it's fair to say that Osment had plenty of time to learn the ins and outs of working on a multi-camera series.
Even though Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is a multi-cam, its parent show, Young Sheldon, was a single-cam. That was a departure from YS' own parent show, The Big Bang Theory, which was also a multi-cam. When G&M premiered, Osment addressed whether she felt about moving to a live audience format, saying that she was actually excited about it. Still, as many actors have discussed, the process of doing a multi-cam production is tricky.
To that point, it's great to hear that after all these years, Emily Osment still uses what she learned on Hannah Montana for other projects and appreciates her time on the series. It’s clear that the show meant a lot to her and still does, even if she wasn’t able to do the anniversary special. I look forward to seeing Osment continue working within the sitcom space (and sincerely hope she does indeed avoid Alzheimer's).
Fans can check out Osment's skills on Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, which is airing out the remainder of its second season on CBS, and it's been renewed for Season 3. Episodes are also available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. And, of course, those who want to check out Osment's earlier work on Hannah Montana can stream all four seasons of that show on Disney+.
