Miley Cyrus Discusses Her 'Edgy Role' In 'The Last Song'

'It's been a really good experience because it's kind of my breakout moment in a way,' singer/actress says.

Miley Cyrus will be at your local cinema in March as the star of the latest Nicholas Sparks movie, "The Last Song." When fans hit the theater to check out the star's new flick, Cyrus promises that the role of Ronnie, a rebellious teen who spends a summer with her dad (Greg Kinnear) and finds love (Liam Hemsworth), will prove that she's ready to grow up and leave her "Hannah Montana" image behind.

"It's been really great," the 17-year-old star said in a new featurette. "It's been a really good experience because it's kind of my breakout moment in a way. This is more of an edgy role.

The role not only forced Cyrus to really flex her acting muscles, but it also spoke to her on a more personal level. "I think it's really important to look for roles that are challenging," she said. "But also something that you relate to and something that really captures your heart."

Although Cyrus, who just premiered the music video for her song "When I Look at You," has one season left on her hit TV show, she has expressed a desire to break free of her Disney princess status for a while now — although she understands her fans might not follow her lead.

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"Everything is so dramatic in the world," she said. "My job is to be a role model and that's what I want to do, but my job isn't to be a parent. My job isn't to tell your kids how to act or how not to act, because I'm still figuring that out for myself. So to take that away from me is a bit selfish. Your kids are going to make mistakes whether I do or not. That's just life."