Disney Channel legend Jason Earles was 'last generation' of stars without social media pressure
Jason Earles "didn't have to deal with the pressures of social media" during his initial years of fame alongside Miley Cyrus but had to deal with paparazzi instead.
Jason Earles "didn't have to deal with the pressures of social media" during his initial years of fame.
The 47-year-old actor starred as the on-screen brother of Miley Cyrus on 'Hannah Montana' in the late 2000s and believes that he and his contemporaries were the "last generation" of celebrities who avoided online hate, although they still had to manage paparazzi intrusion.
Speaking on the 'Let's Talk About!' podcast, he said: "I think we were the last generation of Disney kids that didn't really deal with the pressures of social media. Twitter kind of became a thing halfway through 'Hannah' but then it was like group texting the country. If anything, we were the last generation of Disney stars that worried about paparazzi, that was like Britney Spears stopping traffic.
"It was that time. And that doesn't seem to be quite the same anymore. It's really social media. I used to get TMZ'd every time I'd go [shopping mall] The Grove. That's not what it is anymore, it's just trolls online. "
In the series, Jason played Jackson Stewart whilst 'Flowers' hitmaker Miley, 31, played the titular role of a girl who led a secret double life as a world-famous pop star.
The sitcom ran from 2006 until 2011 and spawned five soundtrack albums, a sell-out tour, and a cinematic film but Jason is unsure whether his former co-star would ever commit to starring in a reboot, although he admitted that she could come back as a producer of a potential series that would focus on the "pressures" of today.
He said: "I don't know if Miley would ever want to go and do the series again but my guess is that at some point she'll be like 'I'd love to produce that, have some input on what it is'. And [she could] pop in and be the next mentor role for the next mentor musical talent. I would guess that a new version wouldn't be a girl who has already popped off.
"I think the pressures are different, and kids interests are different. I do think there's more stories to tell. I have a lot of love for the original, and if we did another then I would participate in whatever they wanted me to because I think there's something special."
