Miley Cyrus was honored by Disney at the annual D23 convention in California over the weekend as a Disney Legend, honoring her years of work with the House of Mouse.
The 31-year-old was named the youngest ever Disney Legend for her work with Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel network, becoming one of the most recognizable teen stars in the aughts and early 2010s.
At the event, sharing a few words with the crowd at one of the D23 events prior to her speech, she got emotional as she looked back fondly on the legacy that Hannah Montana had created.
She started off her speech by pointing out fellow honoree Martha Blanding and saying: "Miss Martha, I am not as strong as you, I am definitely going to cry," and took a few beats to wipe away the tears.
Miley said that she had prepared two speeches, one longer, and "one short, if I get scared," and when thanking the fans, joked that Disney hired Bob Iger and herself in 2005 while on "a mission to rebuild the company."
She joked about Disney kids being created in a lab, adding that if she was, there was a "bug in the system" that caused her to "malfunction" between the years of 2013 and 2016, and cutely added: "Sorry, Mickey!"
Miley shared further insight into the Hannah Montana casting process, detailing that she originally sent in a tape and was deemed to be too young for the role. A year later, however, when they realized the original idea wasn't working, they asked her to come out to California for an in-person audition.
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After buying a t-shirt at the mall that read "I should have my own TV show," Miley and her mom Tish flew out to LA. After getting the part, she expanded upon her fascination with soundstages, comparing it to being on "RuPaul's Drag Race junior…and I won!"
"I had gotten a taste of what my life could be, and from that moment on, I did not want anything else," Miley added. She remembered performing her first concert as Hannah, to add b-roll for the show, and the first track she performed was "This is the Life."
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"In my heart…I was Hannah Montana. And I was so proud to be," she continued, once again getting emotional as fans screamed "we love you!" to cheer her on.
"A little bit of everything has changed since that day… but at the same time, nothing has changed at all," the "Flowers" singer said. "I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana."
"She made Miley in so many ways. This award is dedicated to Hannah, and all of her amazing loyal fans, and to everyone who has made my dream a reality. To quote the legend herself, 'This is the life.'"
Others honored at the ceremony include Kelly Ripa, Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, James Cameron, John Williams, and many more.