Miley Cyrus goes back to her roots in 'Hannah Montana' movie

Miley Cyrus in "Hannah Montana: The Movie"

Like it or not, Miley Cyrus isn’t going away anytime soon. The actress/singer has conquered the worlds of TV, music and movies. She’s all over the media, whether it’s gossip about her love life or the latest controversy about her "inappropriate" behavior for which she has to issue profuse apologies. Now the star of the "Hannah Montana" series is taking her act to the big screen in the appropriately titled "Hannah Montana: The Movie."

In "Hannah Montana," Cyrus is Miley Stewart, a "regular teen" who lives a secret double life as music star Hannah Montana. In the movie, Miley as Hannah starts to get a big ego, so her father, Robby Ray Stewart (played by Cyrus’ real-life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus) ships her off to live on a farm in Tennessee so she can come back down to earth and appreciate her roots. While in Tennessee, Miley Stewart reconnects with a childhood friend named Travis Brody (played by Lucas Till), and she sings some country songs along the way. Here’s what Miley Cyrus had to say when she sat down to talk about the movie.

How would you describe the story behind "Hannah Montana: The Movie"?

In "Hannah Montana: The Movie," Hannah/Miley — both of them — kind of need to take it back down from the real world, get on a horse and actually have to get out and work and get yourself dirty sometimes, and bring yourself back to reality. And I think that’s awesome, because I know I have to do that in my life sometimes.

It feels great to come home to Nashville, and be like, "OK, this is who I am." More than just being stuck in the middle of the city and taking a minute to really realize who you are and where you come from. I think where you’re from reflects a lot of who you are and who you’ll be come as you get older.

What did the "Hannah Montana" cast think when they came to Tennessee?

For the few years I’ve been in L.A., explaining to them about my farm, I think they were like, "Does she really have this farm and all these animals? Is her life really like that? Is Tennessee really country?" It’s like a movie. The way you perceive Nashville really is that way. It really is like a small town. Everyone knows everybody. So when they got here, they got to see my horses. I took them out on four-wheelers. Everyone was like, "Oh my gosh! I can’t really believe this is her life."

How was it working with Lucas Till?

Immediately, we knew who would fit the role. And also we wanted him to be like not just a "movie cowboy." We wanted someone who understood the South, and wasn’t afraid to get on the horse … It was very clear that Lucas could play that role, and it was really fun that we got to get along and hang out. So it was great to have someone else — another kid — for me to hang out with, because that’s always a blast.

What can you say about the songs in the movie?

All the songs in the movie are songs that I just feel suit the movie. We wouldn’t put a song in [the movie] that we didn’t feel went with the scene or help carry the show. I think some of the songs are more powerful than our words, more powerful than we end up saying, more powerful than the scenes. I think it’s so cool that a movie can be lifted up by music.

What message do you want audiences to get from seeing this movie?

It’s super-important to stay true to yourself and also your family. Always stay in touch with who you are and bring yourself back when you see yourself falling away from your heart. Listen to your heart.