After getting a role alongside Jackie Chan and
Hannah Montana: The Movie co-star Lucas Till
on the new movie The Spy Next Door, Billy Ray Cyrus has received yet another acting gig. It's not a sequel to his daughter's hit movie though, but it's also a rather family-oriented flick that's lined up for his career.
According to
All Headline News, the 48-year-old country music songwriter and actor will be playing the lead role of Daniel Burton in a Hallmark movie titled Christmas in Canaan. While it doesn't look like it will be have any other
Hannah Montana attachments there, he'll still be portraying the role of a father. This time, however, to an unruly boy.
Billy Ray's character Daniel Burton is dad to one of two boys caught in a fight. But due to unlikely circumstances, they are brought together in Canaan, Texas in the 60s. It sounds like your usual Hallmark fare, and it was enough to make the
Hannah Montana star cry.
Initially turning down the role, Billy Ray Cyrus explained that he called Hallmark again and reconsidered because he remembered his own father. Growing up, he was told to emulate Kenny Rogers and branch out into acting.
He also said that his role on
Christmas in Canaan definitely reminded him of his dad, who died in 2006. Accepting the part is Billy Ray's way of paying tribute.
"I feel like this character I'm playing, Daniel, was my dad," the
Hannah Montana actor said. "Really and truly. It's like I'm able to honor him on this role. And that's a bigger thrill than I can say. I also get to sing the theme song for it. And it was just an amazing shoot, giving me a really challenging role to sink my teeth into and more depth than I was used to as an actor."
Since he's so used to being a dad, it's only fitting that Billy Ray Cyrus take on yet another similar part. Then again, he'll be breaking out of that stereotype once
The Spy Next Door airs. But at the moment, let's catch him on the Hallmark Original Movie titled
Christmas in Canaan as it airs this December 12.
-Maria Gonzalez, BuddyTV Staff ColumnistSource:
AHN(Image Courtesy of WENN)