Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff first gained widespread notice through her leading part on the massively popular Disney Channel and ABC Kids series Lizzie McGuire, which opened doors to parallel paths as a pop vocalist and screen performer. Years of earlier work preceded that breakthrough. Roles in the 1997 western True Women, 1998’s Casper as the Friendly Ghost’s human companion Wendy, and 1999’s The Soul Collector led directly to her signature character. Lizzie McGuire, which followed the daily challenges of a middle-school student through a mix of live footage and animated sequences, premiered in 2001 and swiftly captured the preteen audience. Beyond its distinctive style, Duff’s portrayal drove much of the appeal: Lizzie came across as attractive, witty, and intelligent without seeming unapproachable, maintained two close friends in Gordo and Miranda rather than standing at either extreme of popularity, and displayed enough self-assurance to follow her own path while remaining relatable in her affections for boys beyond reach.

While Lizzie McGuire surged in popularity, Duff also took a part in the independent feature Human Nature, underscoring her ongoing interest in film work. The show’s momentum carried through 2002, the same year Duff took her initial steps into music with the track “Santa Claus Lane,” featured on the soundtrack for The Santa Clause 2 and on her own holiday album of the same name. Production on Lizzie McGuire wrapped that year, although episodes continued airing into 2003, freeing her to explore fresh projects such as the teen espionage film Agent Cody Banks and a final appearance as Lizzie in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, in which the character travels to Italy and is taken for a teenage pop sensation. Several Duff songs appeared on the movie’s soundtrack, among them the singles “Why Not” and “I Can’t Wait,” each achieving separate success; the album itself reached platinum status by summer 2003.

Metamorphosis, Duff’s first proper studio album as a recording artist, arrived around the same period and introduced a fresher, more varied sonic palette than her earlier material, helping separate her public identity from the Lizzie McGuire persona. It entered the Billboard 200 at number two in its debut week, while the single “So Yesterday” reached the top of the pop singles chart earlier that summer. Duff maintained high visibility through 2003 with appearances at the MTV Video Music Awards and the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, where she accepted the Favorite TV Show trophy on behalf of Lizzie McGuire. She also joined the cast of that year’s Cheaper by the Dozen and launched a concert tour in the fall.

Activity remained constant in 2004. Duff appeared in A Cinderella Story, another Agent Cody Banks installment, and Raise Your Voice while issuing her self-titled second album, which shifted toward anthemic rock-infused pop in the vein of Ashlee Simpson and Avril Lavigne. Issued on September 28, her seventeenth birthday, the record climbed to number two on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Internet Albums chart and earned her “Most Searched by Kids and Teens on AOL” recognition plus additional Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. Promotion extended into 2005, when The Perfect Man reached theaters with Heather Locklear cast as Duff’s romantically challenged mother.

In July she prepared Most Wanted for an August release. The set contained three new tracks, among them the single “Wake Up” co-written by Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, alongside reworked versions of earlier hits such as “So Yesterday” and “Come Clean.” The accompanying Most Wanted tour ran through September and concluded just before her eighteenth birthday. By then the commercial apparatus surrounding Duff operated at full tilt, including a pay-as-you-go mobile phone offered through her website and loaded with her name, ringtones, and wallpapers. Throughout 2006 she balanced film work on War Inc. and Material Girls with sessions for her fourth album, Dignity, partly shaped by her split from Joel Madden. Dignity appeared in spring 2007, drawing positive critical notices yet only modest commercial returns, though it earned gold certification from the RIAA.

After Dignity, Duff stepped back from recording for an extended stretch. A compilation titled Best of Hilary Duff surfaced in time for Christmas 2008. She continued acting, including a role in the Polish Brothers’ 2011 film Stay Cool, and in 2010 launched the young-adult novel series Elixir, whose three volumes were written with Elise Allen. Work on a new album began in 2014 and concluded the following year. Fronted by the single “Sparks,” Breathe In. Breathe Out. arrived in June and debuted at number five on the Billboard charts.