Hilary Duff

 

Born in Houston, Texas on September 28, 1987, Hilary Duff was taking acting classes with her sister Haylie Duff since she was no more than six years old. After performing in the ballet, The Nutcracker Suite, at ages 6 and 8, both Duff sisters wanted to pursue an acting career. Eventually the girls picked up and moved to California with their mother, and ended up being cast in many television commercials.

Although her roles started out small, Hilary Duff took roles as extras in movies such as True Women, and Playing by Heart. Her first big break came in 1998 when she was cast as the lead role in the film Casper Meets Wendy. Although there was not much buzz about the movie, Duff was well on her way to making a name for herself in film. Shortly after playing her lead role, she appeared on a made for TV movie, The Soul Collector, as well as a pilot episode on the television series, Daddio. Not achieving all the success she had hoped for, Duff was ready to give up on acting until her mother encouraged her to try out for the role she landed playing Lizzie McGuire on the Disney Channel’s up-and-coming series Lizzie McGuire. First airing on January 21, 2001, Lizzie McGuire was an instant hit, and Hilary Duff became a teen icon for children across the nation. The show drew in 2.3 million viewers per episode, and turned Duff into the star she always hoped to be. During her time on Lizzie McGuire, Duff worked on other projects such as Cadet Kelly, a television film that also appeared on the Disney network.

After a good run, Lizzie McGuire ended, and Duff started working on her first major role in a feature film, Agent Cody Banks (2003). Shortly afterwards, she brought back her beloved Lizzie McGuire character by starring in The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003). Ready to leave Lizzie McGuire behind, Duff continued her film career by landing roles in other movies such as, Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), A Cinderella Story (2004), Raise Your Voice (2004), The Perfect Man (2005), Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), and Material Girls (2006).

In the midst of her film career taking off, Duff did not neglect the fact that she could sing. Previously, she had recorded tracks for her television show Lizzie McGuire as well as The Lizzie McGuire Movie. In 2002, she also released a Christmas album, Santa Claus Lane, that she had collaborated with other artists such as, Lil’ Romeo, Christina Milian, and her sister Haylie Duff on many of the tracks. One of the tracks “Tell Me a Story (About the Night Before)” received a gold certification, and another track “Santa Claus Lane” was included on the soundtrack for The Santa Clause 2.

Interested in pursuing this aspect of her career further, Duff released a second album, Metamorphosis. This album proved to be more mature, and showed a new side of the Disney star. It was released in 2003, and reached number 1 on U.S. and Canadian charts by selling over 3.7 million copies. The single “So Yesterday” was a top ten hit in many countries, and her second hit, “Come Clean” was her first top 40 U.S. hit. “Come Clean” even became the theme song for MTV’s hit reality show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Later that year Duff started her first concert tour in which every single show was sold out.

Duff’s third album, Hilary Duff, was released in September of 2004. Going for an edgier image and sound, Duff co-wrote many songs on the new album hoping to create a new persona. Although the album sold over 1.5 million copies in the first 8 months in the U.S. alone, Hilary Duff was much less successful than her previous album, Metamorphosis.

Duff released her fourth album Most Wanted in 2005. The album consisted of her favorite songs from her last two albums, as well as remixes, and new songs that she co-wrote with producers Joel Madden and Benji (2 members of the band Good Charlotte). Duff had much more artistic control over this album, and in turn, her lead single, “Wake Up,” placed on the U.S. Hot 100 as her most popular single yet. Most Wanted had sold 1.3 million copies in the U.S. as of March 2006, and even peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200.

Duff co-wrote each track of her next album, Dignity, with Kara DioGuardi, and released it in 2007. Duff described this album as having more of a dance-club sound than her usual pop/rock sound. Her first single, “Play with Fire,” failed in the U.S., but her second single, “With Love,” became Duff’s biggest hit on the U.S. Hot 100. Dignity placed in the top 5 in the U.S. and Canada, and the top 20 in Australia.

Between acting, writing songs, singing, and touring, Duff has really made a name for herself in the entertainment world. She has been growing into a star since she was only 6 years old, and only continues to expand her career.

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