Larry David’s bizarre appearance on ‘Hannah Montana’
There have been some brilliantly strange celebrity cameos in the history of film and television. George Lucas popped up in an episode of the teen drama The O.C, Danny DeVito played a stripper in Friends, and Prince even emerged in New Girl. But one of the most random is undoubtedly Larry David’s bizarre appearance in the Disney hit Hannah Montana.
Hannah Montana was the project that shot Miley Cyrus to dizzying fame, also leading her down a weird path as she attempted to navigate life as a child star, playing a young celebrity and sharing a name with her character. It was an identity crisis waiting to happen.
However, Hannah Montana endured as one of Disney Channel’s most significant success stories. Airing between 2006 and 2011, the idea developed into a huge franchise that led to albums and world tours as Miley Cyrus embodied her pop star character while she became one herself.
Further blurring the lines between fiction and reality, the show starred Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, to play her on-screen parent. There were also regular cameos from her godmother, Dolly Parton, to play the role on-screen too.
There was no end of celebrity cameos on the show, but usually, they stayed within the Disney realm, like the Jonas Brothers or Jesse McCartney. So why on earth, in 2007, did Larry David appear?
The Curb Your Enthusiasm writer and actor appeared in an episode in season two called ‘My Best Friend’s Boyfriend’. As Hannah Montana struggles to get into a fancy restaurant, Larry David is standing in front of her moaning about the situation, to which his kids remark, “I bet Uncle Jerry could have gotten us in”, in reference to Jerry Seinfeld. It’s a funny little moment that likely went right over the heads of young viewers worldwide but gave their parents a good chuckle.
The reason for the appearance comes down to the joys of parenthood. In a bid to be ‘Father of the Year’, David secured a spot on his kids’ favourite show with his two daughters in tow. If his own career had yet to impress his children, I’m sure getting them a cameo on the Disney Channel probably did the trick.
Watch the scene in question below.
