At first, you might not want to admit it, but you probably have a thing for Hilary Duff. It could be you secretly like her song “Come Clean,” or maybe your girlfriend wanted to watch “A Cinderella Story” and you found yourself liking it too. And now to justify it, in just a couple of years, Hilary has gone from a cute rising star to a smoking pop icon.
Prior to fame and fortune, Hilary Duff came from humble beginnings – born in Houston, Texas in 1987. Both her and older sister Haylie, herself now a respected singer and actress, developed a flair for performing. Seeing that her daughters were serious about being on stage, Mrs. Duff moved them to California. It was not an immediate success for Hilary upon her arrival to Hollywood. Eventually, though, she would strike gold – an audition for the Disney Channel’s new series “Lizzie McGuire” would prove to be a defining event in Hilary’s life. She would soon come to be identified as the character Lizzie by hordes of adorning young followers.
It was during the span of the show’s run (2001 – 2004) where Hilary explored other territory. All of it combined into building a loyal fan base and celebrity status for herself. She hit movie screens with “Agent Cody Banks,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” and the starring role in “A Cinderella Story” in 2004. On her musical end, her first album was Santa Clause Lanein 2002, but it was her second album, Metamorphosis in 2003, that established her as a rising pop singer – for a time, perhaps the pop singer in the “post-Britney” era. A third album, Hilary Duff, was released in 2004 with Hilary now 17, and a fourth album, Most Wanted, was released in 2005. Dignity debuted in April 2007.
By now, Hilary is a successful entrepreneur with her own clothing line, and has steadily cultivated an image that has carefully sidestepped the foibles of colleagues like Lindsay Lohan. She has had some public romances – most recently with hockey player Mike Comrie. She seems older than she is, and her maturation into a stunning woman has proven successful. Still, it will be very interesting to see how far she can go.
Hilary on the Web
Instagram: Hilary Duff
Latest photos and videos posted by Hilary.
Guardian Unlimited Interview
Hilary on being a woman.
Hilary on the Screen
She plays Wendy in the 1998 TV movie “Casper Meets Wendy.” In 2001, she’s young Patricia Arquette in Charlie Kaufman’s “Human Nature.” She’s “Cadet Kelly” in the 2002 TV movie, followed by playing opposite Frankie Munoz in “Agent Cody Banks.” “Lizzie McGuire” ran for four seasons on the Disney Channel from 2001 – 2004, and there’s a big screen “Lizzie McGuire Movie” released in 2003. She’s one of Steve Martin’s kids in “Cheaper by the Dozen” and its sequel, Sam in “A Cinderella Story,” Terri Fletcher in “Raise Your Voice,” and Heather Locklear’s daughter in “The Perfect Man.” She teams with her sister Haylie in “Material Girls” in 2006 (which she also produced).
Hilary Says
On getting what she wants:
“I’m not a tramp, or a whore, but I do manipulate men when I feel like it.”
On being herself:
“I’m happy with who I am, and I’m happy with the way people portray me. If it’s too normal, than that’s their opinion.”
On individuality:
“Mom always tells me to celebrate everyone’s uniqueness. I like the way that sounds.”