Taylor Momsen had a solid acting career before forming The Pretty Reckless. However, her life could have been way different if she landed this Disney role.
Lisa London, a casting director with decades of experience, took to TikTok to address a rumor around the casting of the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. It’s there where she revealed Momsen made it to the top three for consideration for the titular role that eventually went to Miley Cyrus. Rounding out the top three was Nickelodeon actress Daniella Monet.
Hannah Montana ran for four seasons/100 episodes on Disney Channel from 2006-2011. The series run also included the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie.
@lisalondoncasting @fernandacortesx love your videos and wanted to share some insight on the casting of Hannah Montana #hannahmontana #belinda #disney #mileycyrus #disneychannel #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen
♬ original sound - Lisa London Casting
While Momsen hasn’t formally acted in a decade in favor of her music career, she is best known for playing Jenny Humphrey in the CW series Gossip Girl from 2007-2012 and for playing Cindy Lou Who in 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
In honor of the film's 20th anniversary, she looked back on her experience working on the holiday movie in a December 2020 interview with The Today Show.
“Getting to work with [director] Ron Howard and with Jim Carrey was amazing,” said Momsen. “Jim Carrey’s performance alone was so incomparable that to be a part of something at such a young age that to this day every year when it comes around, it brings happiness and joy to the world it’s such an amazing thing.”
The part of making the film that Momsen fondly remembers the most actually happened off-screen and not on a soundstage.
“The thing I remember the most that resonates with me to this day as an adult is ‘The Grinch’ was the first time I went into a recording studio,” said Momsen. “…I’ll never forget walking into this beautiful studio with this immaculate console in front of me and putting headphones on and singing into a microphone for the first time and singing ‘Where Are You Christmas?’ That was such an impactful moment in my life because it made me go, ‘I want to make music for the rest of my life.’ That was a huge turning point and put me into the mindset of where I am now.”