Honestly, it’s kinda weird to think about now, but there was a window of time where it felt like Miley Cyrus was going to be the next big romantic lead in Hollywood. Like, the legitimate successor to Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock. You’ve probably seen the memes or the TikTok clips of her Disney days, but the actual miley cyrus movies list is way more chaotic and fascinating than just a blonde wig and some Nashville twang.
Most people just remember Hannah Montana, but Miley’s filmography is actually this bizarre bridge between "Disney Darling" and "Experimental Indie Artist." She went from voicing an animated dog to playing an undercover sorority sister to, basically, playing herself in some of the triest Christmas specials ever made.
The Early Days: Before the Blonde Wig
Before she was a household name, Miley was actually credited as Destiny Cyrus. It’s a fun piece of trivia that makes you look like a total expert at parties. Her first real film credit was a tiny role in Tim Burton’s Big Fish (2003). She played "Young Ruthie," and if you go back and watch it now, you can barely recognize her. She’s just this cute kid with a thick Southern accent.
Then, everything changed. 2006 hit, and Hannah Montana exploded. But the movies didn't start immediately. First, she had to conquer the voice-acting world. In 2008, she voiced Penny in the Disney hit Bolt. People forget how big that movie was. She starred alongside John Travolta and even got a Golden Globe nomination for the song "I Thought I Lost You." It was the first sign that she could actually carry a project that didn't involve her wearing a glittery microphone.
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Why The Last Song Still Matters (For Better or Worse)
If you’re looking at a miley cyrus movies list, The Last Song (2010) is the undisputed heavyweight. This wasn't just another teen flick; it was written by Nicholas Sparks specifically for her. Think about that. The guy who wrote The Notebook was like, "Yeah, Miley Cyrus is the one for this."
It was supposed to be her big "I'm a grown-up" transition. Looking back, the movie is... well, it’s a Nicholas Sparks movie. It’s got the beach, the drama, the turtles, and the tragic ending. But more importantly, it’s where she met Liam Hemsworth. That off-screen romance basically fueled the tabloid industry for the next decade.
Critics weren't exactly kind. Honestly, some of them were pretty brutal, saying her performance was under par. But fans didn't care. It made over $90 million worldwide. It proved she could sell tickets to a drama, not just a musical comedy.
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The Weird Experimental Middle Years
After The Last Song, things got sort of messy. Miley was clearly trying to shed the Disney image, but Hollywood didn't quite know where to put her. You ended up with movies like:
- LOL (2012): She starred with Demi Moore. It was a remake of a French film. It basically vanished from theaters, making almost no money in the US. It’s actually a decent time capsule of early 2010s teen culture, though.
- So Undercover (2012): This one is basically a fever dream. Miley plays a private investigator hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority. It feels like a direct-to-video movie from 2004, but it’s strangely watchable if you like campy comedies.
- Sex and the City 2 (2010): A tiny cameo where she shows up on a red carpet wearing the same dress as Kim Cattrall. Short, sweet, and peak "Miley is everywhere" energy.
The Marvel Connection and Recent Oddities
Most people don’t realize Miley Cyrus is technically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), she’s the voice of Mainframe. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo during the post-credits scene. James Gunn basically said he loved her voice and just wanted her in the movie.
And then we have 2024’s Drive-Away Dolls. This was a huge surprise. Ethan Coen directed it, and Miley has an uncredited role as "Tiffany Plastercaster." It’s a wild, psychedelic cameo that fits her current "Rockstar" persona perfectly. It’s a far cry from the girl who sang "The Climb" in a barn.
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The Complete Miley Cyrus Movies List (Key Appearances)
To keep it simple, here is how her film career actually looks when you strip away the TV specials:
- Big Fish (2003) - Her debut as Destiny Cyrus.
- Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008) - A massive 3D concert film.
- Bolt (2008) - Lead voice role as Penny.
- Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) - The peak of her teen stardom.
- The Last Song (2010) - Her big dramatic break.
- Sex and the City 2 (2010) - A self-parody cameo.
- LOL (2012) - The "indie" teen drama.
- So Undercover (2012) - The action-comedy experiment.
- The Night Before (2015) - Playing herself in a Seth Rogen comedy.
- A Very Murray Christmas (2015) - A Netflix special with Bill Murray.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) - Voice cameo as Mainframe.
- Drive-Away Dolls (2024) - A cult-favorite cameo role.
- Something Beautiful (2025) - Her recent "visual album" style film project.
Where Does She Go From Here?
Lately, Miley seems way more interested in being a musician and a "visual artist" than a traditional actress. Her 2025 project Something Beautiful is a great example—it’s more of a "pop opera" or a long-form music film than a standard movie.
If you want to dive deeper into her filmography, start with Bolt to see her early talent, then hit The Last Song for the drama, and finish with Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too. Even though that’s technically a TV episode, it’s basically a movie, and it’s the most honest commentary she’s ever made about her own fame.
To get the full picture of her evolution, you should watch her documentary Miley: The Movement (2013). It bridges the gap between the movies you remember and the artist she eventually became. Check it out on streaming services to see the "behind the scenes" of her most controversial era.