Horror moviemaker Darren Lynn Bousman's mother was so distraught when the director first cast Paris Hilton in his new movie Repo! The Genetic Opera she threatened to disown him.

Like many friends, fans and critics alike, Bousman's mum was more than surprised when he announced Hilton as his star.

And he admits he fought the idea of having the socialite in his film for the longest time: "I was adamantly opposed to casting Paris because the first thing people said to me was, 'Think of the press you'll get if you put Paris in it.' I thought, 'Whatever horror cred I have is about to go down the toilet.'

"My mother calls me crying from Kansas City - 'Why did you cast her, that charlatan?' She was very upset.

"My mother logged onto this website and read, 'Paris Hilton caught smoking dope in back alley.' That's not Paris Hilton. The paparazzi took pictures during a break while we were recording the soundtrack and she was drinking a water; the smoke was coming from the musicians smoking cigarettes.

"People spin these stories about her and that's how they know Paris Hilton. My idea of Paris, before I met her, was this really spoiled rich kid who is better than everyone else. As it turns out she was not the person I expected her to be. She was so charming.