Cusack On Duff's Acting And King.... Hollywood actor John Cusack has leaped to the defence of Hilary Duff, insisting her transition from pop singer to movie star is a huge success.The pair appear together in upcoming movie War, Inc, but Cusack is exasperated by press scepticism about his co-star's acting abilities.He tells Mtv, "The part was... she played a pop idol from central Asia. So, she was like a Hilary - but not Hilary, because Hilary is so classy - but like a real, and I won't name names, but a real slutty pop star."Hilary is the opposite of that, of course. I think for her to play that, or to parody that, was really great."I think probably people wouldn't know how talented she is. I mean, she's a great actress. I just spent the entire fall with her and she was a revelation every day. I don't think people know that yet, but they're gonna."Meanwhile the star didn't have to dig too deep to play a terrified hotel guest in new horror movie 1408 - he once stayed at the place writer Stephen King based The Shining on.The actor knew there was something creepy and eerie about the Mohonk Mountain House in upstate New York while he was staying there a few years ago - and has since learned it was the setting for King's horror tale, which became a movie classic starring Jack Nicholson.Ironically, King wrote the short story, on which Cusack's new film - in which he plays a cynical ghost hunter locked in a haunted hotel room, is based on.

He says, "I did a movie once in upstate New York and there was this very, very scary hotel and we found out that's where Stephen King based The Shining on.

"It's supposed to be haunted and when you're walking back at night after one too many cocktails it was a little frightening in there.

"You star walking down that hallway and you're running by the time you get down there."

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