Quality Time on the Set

Parent-Child Combos Relish Sharing the Spotlight

Of all the perks that come with stardom, Billy Ray Cyrus's favorite is this: Nearly every day is Take Your Daughter to Work Day.

Most mornings from March through September, the country-music star and his daughter Miley, 14, drive together to the Walt Disney Studios to tape "Hannah Montana," Disney Channel's series about a girl who lives a double life as a normal teenager by day and -- unknown to most of her friends -- a pop star by night.

Miley stars as Miley Stewart. Billy Ray plays her father and manager, Robby. And they have what the title character describes in the show's theme song as "the best of both worlds" -- success and togetherness.

"We get to spend a lot of time with each other, which I consider a major plus because life goes by so fast," said Billy Ray, 46.

Between concert tours and filming the TV series "Doc" (2001-2004) in Toronto, Billy Ray's family time has been limited over the years. "So to get to be with my kids is a real blessing," he said.

Miley, who labels herself "hyper" and "fun," speaks hockey-announcer fast in real life. "I love it, I love it, I love it," she said in describing what it's like to work with her father. But Billy Ray is more low-key: He describes himself as more of a friend-therapist-counselor-psychologist-playmate than a dad.

Although "Hannah Montana" is scripted, what fans see reflects some of the Cyruses' real lives -- "a backstage pass," in Miley's words, into aspects as varied as performance preparation and how the two interact.

Off the set, the series has turned Miley into a bona fide pop star: She just embarked on a sold-out 54-date concert tour that includes a Jan. 7 stop at Verizon Center. The show also has opened up a new audience for Billy Ray, who's 15 years removed from his smash hit "Achy Breaky Heart."

"We just found the right show at the right time, and we were both in the right spaces of our lives to fit in this whole thing," Billy Ray said. "It's a moment in time."

And if history is a guide, it's a moment they'll cherish.

David Nelson, who is retired and turns 71 on Wednesday, fondly remembers his years working with his parents and his brother, Rick, on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." The boys' father scheduled filming around their school activities, making acting "like an after-school job," Nelson said.

Early on, the boys only worked Saturdays. In later years, David walked the half block from junior high school to the studio where the show was taped. A driver picked up Rick, who was three years younger. They'd work until about 7 p.m., then head home for dinner.