The 24-year-old actress plays a deranged student in the thriller alongside Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet and Billy Zane.
Leighton told Nylon magazine that she would sit on her own to prepare for the role and perfect her portrayal of the character.
She said: 'I spent a lot of time listening to music that made me feel a certain way, and I started staring in the mirror and not liking myself.'
Kelly, 30, added: 'People on set would mistake her for being sort of anti-social. She would isolate herself from everyone.'
The Roommate is scheduled for release in the US next week.