Contact: Laurie Hogan (336) 370-8307
Created: 3/29/2010 3:08:57 PM

Carrie Malabre, a 2007 graduate of Southern High, is co-starring with Miley Cyrus in "The Last Song." The film, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, is set to open in theaters on Wednesday.

Currently a student at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Malabre spent most of the summer last year in Savannah, Ga., filming her supporting role as "Cassie," the rival of Cyrus' character. She will be in nine scenes of the movie.

While playing a role in a major motion picture was different for Malabre, she had prior experience in independent films and in a number of theater productions at Southern. Drama teacher Sherri Raeford says she took drama for four years and appeared in several shows, including "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as Hermia.

Malabre says she has known for years that she wanted to be an actress, but her performance at Southern High in "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," a story about the Holocaust, solidified her dream.

"After my performance, this extremely old man walked up to me, leaning over on his cane, with tears flowing down his face," said Malabre. "He put his hand on my shoulder and told me that I was a wonderful actress and put a lot of heart into that part. That touched me like nothing else. That's what acting is about."