Hilary Duff Ready For War Inc.

Hilary Duff promotes her new politically charged movie, War, Inc., in the latest of Los Angeles Confidential.

In the John Cusack-directed film, Hilary Duff plays potty-mouthed Eastern European pop star Yonica Babiak. She sexes things up and even manages to channel the guys from Jackass. Here’s what She had to say to the mag:

This movie is so different from what you’ve done before.
HILARY DUFF: I think that’s going to be a lot of people’s reaction.... Not really knowing what they’re getting into. It’s definitely interesting and creative.

LAC: How did you get involved with the film?
HD: I was writing my record, and taking time off from everything in my life to really focus on it. My agents knew that I was looking for different projects. They said, “Take a look at this script. It’s John Cusack, and we don’t know how you’re going to feel about it because you have to play a pop star.” I was like, “Ugh, I don’t even want it,” you know? I thought it was going to be the same old same old. Then I read it and I was like Oh my God and I freaked out. “I want it, I want it!” I called my agent, and the next thing I know, they said, “John wants to talk to you on the phone.” It all happened really fast, and two weeks later I was in Bulgaria filming!

LAC:What was it like in Bulgaria?
HD: Parts of it are really beautiful, but they’re in the middle of a rough time. There are still wild dogs running around the streets that could chase you and bite you at any second!

LAC: Because this movie is so different, how do you think your fans will react to it?
HD: That’s a good question. When I read the script I knew I was ready for it. So I was really excited. Then it all sets in: Oh God, I have to have this foul mouth, be this rude and crude girl who tries to be sexy but she’s so young and kind of vulgar. But I think I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t really care. In my personal life I’m not this crazy girl that gets all this tabloid attention, and the attention that I do get, it’s because I want it. I don’t try to go places to be photographed and stuff like that. I think I am kind of a good girl. I want my fans to still be there, and I do things for them. But I also want to grow, and for people to see me in a different way. I need to make myself happy. It’s a challenge.

LAC: John Cusack, Jeremy Pikser, and Mark Leyner wrote the movie together. They are known to be highly opinionated and have strong personalities. Were they daunting?
HD: They’re trouble together! But they’re such talented people. They’re so much older than me, you know? But we’d have dinner every night and play games. They totally took me in and took care of me.

LAC: How was working with Marisa Tomei?
HD: It was great. I didn’t have very many scenes with Marisa. She’s amazing. She brings so much to the table. She has a really unique process, and it’s so natural, and I learned a lot from watching her.

LAC: Your character speaks in a ridiculous dialect. Where did that come from?
HD: The first time I talked to John, he said, “You know, you have to have an accent.” The character is an Eastern European pop star. I didn’t even know where to begin. But the fun thing is, this place doesn’t even exist. Turaqistan is not a real country. So I played around and mixed a lot of things together! I talked in that accent as much as I could, even to my family and friends!

LAC: Was it intimidating to work with actors like John Cusack and Sir Ben Kingsley?
HD: I’m really not shy at all, and since I’ve been working for such a long time, I’ve learned that when it’s time to not be shy, I go into autopilot or something. Being there with all of them.... They didn’t know what to expect of me and I didn’t know what to expect of them. We became such good friends. And working with John, he gives you such creative control. There was a superfun creative energy going around.

LAC: Did you really drop a live scorpion down your pants in the movie?
HD: I really did. It was so scary. I grew up in Texas, and we had plenty of scorpions, but I never had to put one down my pants before. And my pants weren’t that baggy, so I couldn’t get any space. I did it a couple times with it going down my leg and it was terrifying. The little thing kept doing backbends because it obviously didn’t want to go in my pants, you know? Everyone on the set was cheering!

LAC: The guys from Jackass will be jealous.
HD: [laughs]We’ll have a little competition! ★

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