Emily Leatherman, 33, was also charged on Wednesday with misdemeanor counts of disobeying a court restraining order and petty theft in connection with her arrest outside the actor's Malibu house over the weekend.

She faces up to three years in state prison if convicted of the stalking charge, and up to a year in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor counts, the district attorney's office said.

Leatherman pleaded not guilty in court hours after the charges were filed. She remained jailed on USD 500,000 bail.

An operator at the Los Angeles County Jail did not immediately know whether Leatherman had retained a lawyer.

Cusack, the star of High Fidelity, Say Anything and dozens of movies, was granted a restraining order in July 2006 stipulating that Leatherman stay at least 152 meters away from him, his home, his car and offices or companies in which he does business.

In court papers, Cusack said Leatherman "is showing unusual interest by stalking, throwing long letters of interest over my fence in bags with rocks and screwdrivers inside, making unannounced visits to offices of people I work with in an attempt to meet with me and listing my address as her own during a recent arrest."

County sheriff's deputies were called to the actor's home Sunday after a cab driver reported that a passenger refused to pay for the ride to get there. As the deputies were responding to the situation, Cusack flagged them down and told them that he recognized the woman and that she had been stalking him.