Billy Ray and Miley — keeping it ‘real’

Being best friends forever with his daughter is not a problem for Billy Ray Cyrus.

But that’s because the musician-actor makes certain it stays that way with his increasingly famous musician-actress daughter, Miley.

While the two have become business partners in the franchise known as “Hannah Montana,” Cyrus the father says he’s learned to walk a tightrope that allows the two to “keep things real,” as he likes to say.

Q: How close to home are the father-daughter drama and real-life lessons we see on the screen?

A: The movie (“Hannah Montana: The Movie”) itself is as close to real life as it can be, while still keeping the comedy and the whole stuff that makes the “Hannah Montana” series work. Even down to the song I sing, “Back to Tennessee.” That becomes the theme of the movie and the cornerstone of the film. The words and lyrics are about living there and knowing we both had to go home. My dad had this saying: “Always look toward the future, but most importantly, never forget where you came from and who you are.” And that’s what this movie and the song are about.

Q: You’ve got about 10 years of acting credits under your hat. Are you comfortable in your acting skin?

A: I have been acting so long that I really do feel like an actor. Doing the series “Doc” was like an acting apprenticeship. I found that I liked the less-is-more approach — in a Clint Eastwood kind of way. It’s about finding a rhythm to the scene. Being a natural-born musician, the turning point was when I realized that acting was just like making music. My one common law is to keep it real — as a musician and as an actor.

Q: How did you get into acting?

A: My dad had a talk with me in the mid-’90s. He said, “Son, I think you have all your eggs in one basket with this music. I think you should branch out into one of those Kenny Rogers or Dolly Parton careers.” The next week, while I was touring in Los Angeles, I read in a newspaper about a casting call for David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive.” My agent helped get me an audition, and lo and behold, they hired me.

Q: That’s a pretty good first gig, working with Lynch.

A: David walked up to me, said, “I love what you’re doing. You can be a real actor if you want to be one.” He said to just keep being real. Not long after that, I got the part in “Doc,” which became like a springboard. That’s where Miley came to Toronto and got interested in acting. As odd as it sounds, if it wasn’t for David Lynch, I’m not sure Miley Cyrus would be Hannah Montana. Isn’t that a weird oxymoron? But it’s true, man!

Q: When did Miley tell you she wanted to act?

A: We saw the play “Mamma Mia,” and halfway through it, Miley nudged me and said, “This is what I want to do. I want to be a great actress.” She spent about three years there studying acting and theater while we were in Toronto, and it honestly prepared her for this thing called “Hannah Montana.”

Q: What are the pros and cons of working so closely with your daughter?

A: It’s give-and-take all the way. It’s a fine line, and sometimes it feels like I’m walking it suspended between two of the tallest buildings in New York City. I take one step at a time. Trust me: Whether it’s work or personal, sometimes things just get off balance. If I step in the wrong direction, I just try and step back.

The most important law is to stay Miley’s best friend. We came into this thing as best friends. The most important thing is to keep it that way.