Billy Ray Cyrus

THE REINVENTION

Billy Ray Cyrus doesn’t feel like the mulleted heartthrob who rocketed to fame with “Achy Breaky Heart” in 1992. “You know those little apple-head dolls that are all shriveled up?” he asks. “Sometimes I see one and think, ‘Man, I’m looking at myself.'” That may be a bit of an exaggeration—with his soul patch and tousled hair, this father of five definitely hasn’t lost his sex appeal—but a lot of other things have changed. After his music career slowed, he became a full-time actor, starring in the TV series Doc and films such as Mulholland Drive. His latest gig: playing dad on the Disney series Hannah Montana, which happens to star his real-life 13-year-old daughter Miley. The show, about a teen singing star, has also let Cyrus, 45, reignite his music career. His new CD—Wanna Be Your Joe—is already a hit with Hannah fans who turned out for the show’s summer tour. “Some,” he says, “even had freshly carved mullets!”

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