Billy Ray Cyrus Returns to Television in 'Still the King'
Cyrus said he was looking for a way to reinvent himself
— -- Billy Ray Cyrus is coming back to television.
The country crooner, known for hits “Achy Breaky Heart” and “’Could’ve Been Me,” in addition to acting alongside his daughter in a Disney channel series, said he was looking for a way to reinvent himself.
“Reinvention, it’s an intangible,” Cyrus said. “It’s not something that you can buy, or something that someone can think of for you. In this case, how do you reinvent out Hannah Montana?”
It seems he’s found the answer with his starring role in the new CMT series, “Still the King.”
Cyrus admits, the storyline is far from simple. He portrays Vernon Brownmule, a one-hit wonder turned Elvis impersonator, who finds himself behind bars for drunk driving. After being sentenced to community service at a church, his character pretends to be the congregation’s new minister and suddenly discovers he has a daughter.
Cyrus, who shares writing and executive-production credits came up with the plot but credits the show’s writers for taking it to the next level.
“They took a creative approach that I never would’ve thought of in my head and that allowed me to go outside of my comfort zone.” he said. “[There are] no rules, no limits, no preconceived notions — it’s about entertaining people. Quirky, uninhibited, free willing comedy.”
“Still The King” premieres Sunday, June 12 on CMT.