Chores Keep Miley Grounded

It's not exactly unheard of for a child actor to go a little off the rails as they make the difficult transition from cute, talented kid into full-fledged actor. But at least one friend of Miley Cyrus, who turns 16 this week, is sure that she is one Disney girl who isn't destined to follow down the errant path paved by Britney Spears and others — and all because of chores and 4x4s!

Vanessa Williams, who just finished shooting Hannah Montana: The Movie with Miley, tells OK! that after spending time on the Cyrus family farm, she thinks that the teen superstar's down-to-Earth upbringing has set her up for a life on the straight-and-narrow.

"She's got a foundation," said Vanessa at the Mayor's Awards ceremony at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. "She grew up in Tennessee on a great farm. They've got horses, she drives all the 4x4s, they make the kids do chores."

CLICK HERE for OK!'s Mega Miley Gallery!

The Ugly Betty actress also reveals to OK! that Miley was given a master class in dealing with stardom from the years spent with her country singer dad, Billy Ray Cyrus.

"She's lived a relatively normal life, watching her dad on the road, so she knows that aspect, but she also knows work," explained Vanessa. "That's why she's such a professional."

It makes you think — if only there had been a tractor or two kicking around the Spears' place!

CLICK HERE for OK!'s Mega Miley Gallery!

By Oliver Coleman