March 22, 2010 - Novelist Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Dear John) did things backwards with The Last Song. Rather than write the book first and then have his work adapted into a screenplay, Sparks pounded out the script for The Last Song before making it into a book. He wrote The Last Song with Miley Cyrus in mind to play the lead (she even got to choose the name for her character), but the fact she and her co-star, Aussie newcomer Liam Hemsworth, hit it off so well was an unexpected quirk of fate.
Cyrus plays Ronnie, a rebellious recent New York high school grad who, along with her younger brother (played by Bobby Coleman), has to spend the summer with their divorced dad (Greg Kinnear) in a laidback Southern beach town.

Initially unhappy with her mom's decision that she spend some time with her dad, Ronnie gradually comes to embrace her visit to Wilmington, North Carolina, and her budding relationship with a local rich boy who excels at volleyball and helping sea turtles.

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth The Last Song Press Conference

Miley, what was it like to have somebody write this for you?
Miley Cyrus: "It was cool because everything that I’ve done [has been a version of me], even Hannah Montana, which is a character and not me, there’s still elements that are very much like me, personally. It made it easier to go into something new, in a film that wasn’t based on Hannah Montana and wasn’t such a comfort zone, to make it a little bit more like me. "

This is a change for your career, especially with Hannah Montana ending now. How do you feel about that progression?

Miley Cyrus: "It’s interesting to be doing press for this type of movie when, right now on the Disney Channel, it’s airing one of the last episodes of Season 3 and we’re finishing up Season 4.

As a new chapter is beginning, one that has also been my life for the last five years is ending."

"It’s interesting to be leaving my security blanket behind, but also it’s exciting to get involved more with this movie. It makes me want to just continue to work and do more films. The show needed a complete ending for Season 3, and our show deserves that, too. With it being such a huge, big deal in so many kids’ lives that they don’t want to see reruns forever. They want a really respectful ending. It really deserves that. It’s been such an amazing journey. It definitely had a beginning, and it needs an end."

Do you think you’d do another Hannah Montana film?

Miley Cyrus: "No. The Hannah Montana wig is out, as soon as we finish that last episode. One will be in a museum and one will be burned, or something. I can’t put it on again. It’s just too much."

This is your first romantic drama. What did you learn that you can take with you for the rest of your career?

Miley Cyrus: "Once I kind of saw one of the final edits, there are always things that you’re going to pick yourself apart about. 'That’s not there, this isn’t there…' You just have to go into each day doing your best and don’t get too attached to anything."

"Everyone has their job. Everyone else is doing the best they can with what they do, and I’ll do the best that I can. I’ll just always keep that in mind and keep it day-by-day. At the end, you have to realize there will be an edit. That was the hardest thing, for me. When I did Hannah Montana, it was something that I was so familiar with. It was interesting to watch the edit for this because I was like, 'I could have done that better.' You just have to not criticize yourself."

Making this transition to more adult roles now, do you have to be really careful with your choices?

Miley Cyrus: "When we were planning when the transition would take place, and when I would leave the show behind and do something else, everyone was like, 'Well, this is what we think you should do.' I’ve gone these last five years of doing Hannah Montana with everyone telling me what to do. Now, it’s up to me and what I think is right in my career, so I’m just going in my own direction. I have to be careful, in a sense, to not lose who I am or the Miley Cyrus factor, by going to do other characters. I still want them to know who I am, but I want to extend my audience. I want to continue to do what I love, but also give myself new challenges and not just be the same person, over and over."

Does it help to have such a good looking co-star in Liam Hemsworth?

Miley Cyrus: "With Nicholas [Sparks] writing, I said, 'I like animals. I like music. I like hot Australians.' That’s what I tried to make him write into the book, so it was interesting. It was a good choice. It worked out fine, and I owe Nicholas, big time."

Liam, what was it like to work with someone who’s as big a star as Miley?

Liam Hemsworth: "From the first day we met, it was good. When I came in, I didn’t know how big a star she really was. I had seen the show a few times, but I had no idea how big Miley Cyrus was. I guess that was good because I didn’t get nervous about how big she was. So, I went in and read with her, and it was really good. She was amazing to work with."

Miley Cyrus: "I got a little bit nervous about how big he was, in height. I was like, 'I’m going to have to stand on apple boxes or something.' It made me a little bit intimidated, even though I’m usually the one that’s intimidating someone else. [Director] Julie Ann [Robinson] was like, 'He works a lot in Australia. It’s going to be awesome. We’re going to break him out here.' So, I was like, 'Great, he’s going to be really good. This is my first film, but he’s worked before.' I was a little bit nervous with everything. But then he opened the door for me and I was like, 'That was good! He’s got the part!' Julie Ann was like, 'Let’s read with him first,' and I was like, 'He’s got it! I don’t care!' I didn’t want to be the one that made the final decision because, if he did end up being crazy, I didn’t want to be the one to ruin the whole thing. But, he ended up being awesome and it was so fun. I was a little bit intimidated, and it’s hard for someone to do that to me."