A Coronation Street icon once starred in the blockbuster Hannah Montana movie, leaving fans astonished upon discovery.

Hannah Montana’s Massive Success

The Disney series Hannah Montana launched in 2006 and spawned a 2009 film that raked in over $150 million worldwide. The story centers on teen Miley Stewart, played by Miley Cyrus, who leads a double life as pop sensation Hannah Montana. Recently, Disney+ aired a 20th anniversary special with live performances and an in-depth interview with Cyrus.

Peter Gunn’s Key Role

Peter Gunn, widely recognized for portraying Brian Packham on Coronation Street, took on the role of determined reporter Oswald Granger in the Hannah Montana film. Granger pursues a major story on the pop star, trailing her to her hometown and uncovering her secret identity as ordinary schoolgirl Miley Stewart behind the blonde wig.

Behind-the-Scenes Insights

Peter Gunn recounted his experience on the Sofa Cinema Club podcast: “The weird thing is that I didn’t know who Miley Cyrus was when I was up for the part, and I can remember asking my eight-year-old son, ‘Have you heard of this Miley Cyrus?'”

He described realizing her fame while filming in Nashville: “We’re in Nashville, which is her hometown, and I’m thinking yeah she’s a Nashville girl, so she’s going to be popular. But then the first week I’m there, in the evening I’m in the hotel room and put the television on and there’s a discussion about what Miley’s done that day. I thought why are they discussing that? Because they did every day.”

Gunn continued: “This was on the local news, and I’m thinking, ‘Flipping hell, she is big isn’t she?’ And then you realise as we’re going around wherever we go, she has security, people just go absolutely berserk.”

Taylor Swift made a cameo appearance during her tour. Gunn shared a light moment with her: “She was on tour and she turned up when we were filming and remember being sat on the makeup bus and she sat next to me and went, ‘Hi, I’m Taylor, and we were just having a chit chat.’ She was telling me about the tour and how she’s come to help Miley.”

Fans’ Shocked Reactions

Social media buzzes with surprise as Coronation Street viewers uncover Gunn’s Hollywood connection. One fan posted a photo alongside the query: “Curious is this Brian that works in The Kabin in The Hannah Montana Movie?” Others responded: “Omg it is,” “All this time and I had no idea,” and “Didn’t expect that!”

Coronation Street airs weekdays at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.