Oh, she's just being Miley: Billy Ray and Hannah Montana talk family and their new movie

HOLLYWOOD - Before he was Miley Cyrus' dad, Billy Ray Cyrus was a country-music star with the toe-tapping hit "Achy Breaky Heart."

While still hard at work on his own career, Billy Ray is now busy guiding his 16-year-old daughter through her newfound fame as "tween" icon Hannah Montana.

"We both love what we do," explained the 47-year-old crooner, who recently released his 11th album, "Back to Tennessee."

Cyrus, who has five other children (including two stepchildren with his second wife, Tish Finley), couldn't be more proud of Miley and her passion for performing.

"She loves acting," he said, smiling. "She loves singing, writing songs and all. And I think, for the most part with Miley, part of it is just staying real and remembering who she is, where she comes from and what she's all about."

Billy Ray's dedication and support isn't lost on Miley (real name: Destiny Hope Cyrus).

"My dad's been a big influence on me because he's the one who's tried most to allow me to do what I love," the pop star said admiringly. "He wants me to be happy and he loves me so much. He's definitely my friend, but he's [also] a great parent."

The Cyruses have an unusual bond. They share not only a close father-daughter relationship, but they also co-star on the hit Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana," which has now spawned the full-length "Hannah Montana: The Movie." Billy Ray and Miley reprise their TV roles - loosely based on themselves - in the family-friendly adventure that takes them back to their Tennessee roots.

The movie centers on Hannah Montana, a popular young singer who tries to keep her true identity - Miley Stewart - hidden from the public so that she can enjoy the normal life of an American teenager. (Hannah's blond wig is enough of a disguise for the brunette Miley.)

The show, a hit with legions of young girls and a few boys, centers on Miley Stewart's quest to juggle life as a superstar with school, friendships and family. Billy Ray plays her widowed father, Robby Ray Stewart, who has to cope with the headaches and highlights of parenting a pop star.

Having experienced his own rise to fame, Cyrus is trying to help his daughter, who wants to be a movie actress, to get the most out of the experience while navigating the tricky waters of stardom. He regularly gives her homespun advice that he picked up from his father, who passed away three years ago.

"My dad told me [when I was] a little boy," he said, "it's important to always be aware of your current surroundings. And when you're at any crossroads of life, always be looking forward to the future, knowing where you want to go."

Cyrus has communicated those thoughts to his daughter, who appears to have listened. "My dad taught me it's all about the timing," she said. "If the time isn't right, nothing's going to fall into place."

Looking at her father, she added, "I do listen to you every once in a while."

Born in Flatwoods, Ky., Billy Ray Cyrus was taught to play the guitar by his father, a local politician. Moving to Nashville in the early '80s, Cyrus spent the decade playing in bars before signing with Mercury Nashville records in 1990. His debut album, "Some Gave All," was a huge success and spent 34 weeks on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.

He started his movie career a decade ago, when he appeared in the indie drama "Radical Jack," and subsequently had a small part in David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive." In 2001, he starred in the PAX TV series "Doc," in which he played a young physician who brings his country ideals to a Big Apple clinic.

Miley had a recurring role on the series, which had a three-year run and introduced the youngster to show business. As "Doc" was winding down, Billy Ray was cast in "Hannah Montana" as his daughter's father. The show, which debuted in 2006, was an overnight hit and catapulted Miley to stardom. Now in its third season, the show is likely to continue for at least one more year.

In 2007, the handsome, square-jawed performer appeared on the hit ABC series "Dancing with the Stars," making it to the semifinals and finishing in fifth place. Soon after, he and Miley recorded and released the hit country duet, "Ready, Set, Don't Go."

Billy Ray co-stars with Heather Locklear in the drama "Flying By," airing on Lifetime on April 18. He next will be seen in the action-comedy "The Spy Next Door," alongside Jackie Chan.

Under her father's watchful eye, Miley has mostly avoided the public embarrassments and missteps that dog young stars. Still, some critics have accused Billy Ray of exploiting his offspring.

That's certainly not an opinion shared by Miley. "People can rat on him and say he's not raising me right or whatnot," she retorted, "but I feel like if people went to a normal high school and saw the way 90 percent of kids act, they would say my dad's a really good dad." *