Jason Earles, a Disney star, makes a cameo appearance in season three of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” The “Hannah Montana” star, however, has been working with the cast as a mentor from the first season. The irony that the cast’s “camp counselor” is now portraying a camp director was brought up by Julia Lester. Star of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Julia Lester, revealed to Insider that Jason Earles, a season three guest star, has served as a mentor to the ensemble from the show’s debut.

Earles makes an appearance as camp director Dewey Wood in the season premiere of the “High School Musical” spinoff series, which was published on Wednesday. Earles is best remembered for his role as Miley Cyrus’ brother Jackson Stewart in the 2000s “Hannah Montana” series.

Lester, who portrays the main character Ashlyn, told Insider that the actor has been serving as a mentor to the other members of the main ensemble and that he was sarcastically given the nickname “camp counselor.”

Technically speaking, he is our dialogue coach, but Lester described him as more of an acting coach and mentor. “We’ve been jokingly referring to him as a camp counselor since season one. And he is currently acting almost exactly like a camp counselor. He runs the camp, after all.”

In an interview with People , Judy Taylor, a former Disney Channel casting director, hired him to ensure the cast’s youthful age and “safe atmosphere” for their mental health and personal growth. When the show initially broadcast, the main cast’s ages ranged from 15 to 21.

Earles, who was 29 when he first portrayed 16-year-old Jackson in “Hannah Montana,” also drew comparisons between Miley Cyrus’ ascension in the mid-2000s and Olivia Rodrigo’s success.

He told People that it had been “mindblowing” to see Miley become the biggest pop singer in the world so quickly while he was there for Hannah Montana. “We told them “She’s a pop star” before the show debuted, and then all of a sudden, she was a pop sensation.”

He went on: “The world then determined that Olivia Rodrigo was the biggest pop singer on the planet when her single “Drivers License” was released. It took place so soon. How could I possibly get this close to this twice in one lifetime? It was so startlingly similar to Miley’s ascension. Just seeing things go down from the front row is interesting.”

Season three of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” debuts on Wednesday on Disney.