Mitchel Musso skips Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special

Actor Mitchel Musso has revealed he declined an invitation to participate in the "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special," citing disappointment that the event was not a scripted reunion episode or film. Musso, who played Oliver Oken on the hit Disney Channel series, made the comments during an interview on "The Joe Vulpis Podcast" released on June 24.

The televised special, which premiered on Disney and Hulu on March 24, featured star Miley Cyrus revisiting the show's recreated sets, performing songs, and hosting guests including her father Billy Ray Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Chappell Roan. Musso was absent from the broadcast.

Musso confirmed he was asked to return but said the offer was not presented in a way that appealed to him. He expressed a long-held desire for a full cast reunion to film new material as their characters. "The kid in me was banking on it, like, 'I can't wait for us to all be on set again,' and it just didn't work out that way," Musso said. "Do an episode. Do the show. The set's still there."

He characterized the actual special, a retrospective, as not being "the right thing" for him. "I was busy doing something that was more important," Musso stated, but...