Is Miley Cyrus Too Young for 'Sex'?

Filed under: Movie News, Sex That's SFW

Granted, Miley's image is no longer that of a squeaky-clean Disney princess. While "Hannah Montana" made her a role model for gazillions of tween girls, the 16-year-old megastar has strayed from that mother-approved aura of wholesomeness with a slew of PR disasters: There was the scandalous Vanity Fair portrait, in which she revealed her bare back while swaddled in a bed sheet; her relationship with an older model, Justin Gaston; the racy photos that leaked online after hackers invaded her cell phone. Recently, she raised eyebrows at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards for performing her hit song "Party In the U.S.A." along a dance pole, of all things.

Yet, Miley -- who turns 17 next month -- has managed to transcend the hoopla with her dignity intact and ever-growing success. For those banking on a "True Hollywood Story" downward spiral, consider this: The outspoken non-Twitterer has a No. 1 single, the feel-good pop anthem "Party In the U.S.A"; she's back on tour playing to sellout crowds; and her acting career is heating up thanks to a starring role in the upcoming drama "The Last Song," written especially for her by Nicholas Sparks. (She plays, go figure, a rebellious teenager.)

With everything she's got going on, a brief appearance in "SATC" seems like a small thing, something exciting to check off her list as she expands her entertainment empire. Plus, as Miley told Vanity Fair last year, it's her "favorite show."

"It's a fun wink-wink cameo," says Carissa Rosenberg, entertainment director at Seventeen magazine. "Millions of women are gonna have their eyeballs on her--and why not?"

In her scene, filmed Friday in Manhattan, Miley reportedly plays herself and shows up to a movie premiere sporting the same strapless gold dress as Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall); according to Us Weekly, this potential red-carpet faux pas forces Anthony (Mario Cantone) to quip, "Mother of god. She is wearing the same dress as Hannah Montana."

As Rosenberg sees it, Miley has been graduating from her Disney Channel alter ego for some time and stands no chance of alienating her fans with a guest role in the sequel to the "SATC" movie, which did gangbusters at the box office in summer 2008.


"Any girl would die to be on `Sex And the City," she says of the iconic HBO series-turned-global phenomenon.

This is a step forward in her career, says Ian Drew, editor-at-large of Us Weekly.

"It's absolutely a great move," Drew says. "Everybody wants a cameo. Everybody wants to be in that movie."

(Indeed, word is Penelope Cruz and Liza Minnelli will also make appearances).

Drew credits Miley's parents (her dad is "Hannah Montana" co-star and country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus) with supporting her as she navigates Hollywood and makes smart choices.

"She's gotta grow up sometime," says Drew, who insists Miley must continue to take on more mature acting roles to break out of the child-star mold.

Branding expert Charlie Walk says Miley appearing in "SATC" allows Miley to reach out to a wider demographic, which is also what she's accomplishing with ageless, crossover songs like "The Climb," which topped the adult contemporary charts.

"You can't look at Miley Cyrus as a Disney artist anymore," says Walk, CEO of the entertainment company CWE Media. "You need to look at her as Miley Cyrus Incorporated."

Walk calls Miley's career momentum a "natural evolution" that speaks to the power of her brand: aspirational yet accessible and down to earth.

Says Walk, "If you are Miley Cyrus fan, you feel she's talking with you, not at you. A whole 'nother thing's happening: She's being accepted."