The Real Reason Hollywood Won't Cast Mitchel Musso Anymore

Hannah Montana fans know Mitchel Musso as the cheese-jerky-creating, "fricky fricky fresh" Oliver Oken. But after moving on to other Disney projects like Phineas and Ferb and Hatching Pete, Musso has been fairly absent from the public eye in recent years. So, why hasn't Musso followed his co-stars Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment to more success? The answer is twofold.

First, Musso was charged with a DUI in 2011, which reportedly led to him losing his role on the Disney XD sitcom Pair of Kings. Second, there were a couple of years when Musso pursued his music career, rather than new acting projects — and the ones he did pursue didn't get great reviews.

Still, Musso's acting career could hit a new stride after the pandemic. The actor is set to star alongside Wizards of Waverly Place actor Jake T. Austin in the upcoming crime drama The Rise. There's not much information about the show yet, but it could revitalize Musso's place in the TV landscape.

Here's what fans should know about Musso's DUI and what he's done since Hannah Montana.

Like so many other Disney stars, Mitchel Musso faced trouble with the law after becoming a household name. In October 2011, Musso was charged with two counts of drunk driving, according to TMZ.

"In becoming an adult, I have learned firsthand that stepping up and taking responsibility is the best way to move forward," Musso told E! News in February 2012, referring to the DUI incident. "I am especially thankful to my family and fans for their unwavering support and encouragement. I am glad to now put this in the past." According to the outlet, Musso was "sentenced to 36 months of informal probation," along with a fine and a requirement to attend "alcohol education classes."

While Musso continued to work as a voice actor on Phineas and Ferb after the DUI, his other IMDb entries after the incident are sparse. (He also hasn't released any musical singles since 2012's "Replaceable.")

While Emily Osment went on to star in Freeform's Young & Hungry for five seasons after Hannah Montana, Mitchel Musso never found the same level of success as his on-screen love interest. Aside from Phineas and Ferb, Musso's other acting ventures didn't gain much attention from fans or critics.

In the R-rated Sins of Our Youth, Musso played Scott, one of four teens who accidentally shoot a younger boy in an ill-advised prank gone wrong. The movie only has a 43% audience score rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which isn't a promising sign. Musso also played Mitch in 2015's The Sand, which has a 40% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and an even worse 21% audience rating. Musso also starred in 2016's Characterz and 2018's Bachelor Lions, neither of which have scores on Rotten Tomatoes. But none of the films were runaway successes for the actor.

As for his views on the role that made him famous, Musso has at least one bone to pick with Disney. In 2017, Musso tweeted about the outfits Oliver wore on Hannah Montana. He's not wrong that they were... a bit odd, but so were the clothes his co-stars wore — Miley Cyrus wore a lot of questionable boot styles on the show.

Musso has also faded from the public eye, having not tweeted or posted on Instagram since 2018. But if he makes an acting comeback, fans will be ready.