Biography

Teen actress Hilary Duff quickly rose to fame on the strength of her winning performance on the successful television series Lizzie McGuire. Born in Houston, TX, September 28, 1987, she developed an interest in dance at the age of six and began taking ballet lessons, later making her stage debut in a Christmas production of The Nutcracker. She developed a stronger passion for acting after being cast in a television commercial, and, in 1998, appeared in the direct-to-video Casper Meets Wendy as Wendy, a youthful witch.

After taking on more dramatic roles in the made-for-TV movie The Soul Collector and a guest appearance on Chicago Hope, Duff was cast in the title role of Lizzie McGuire in 2001. A sitcom for young people, Lizzie McGuire concerned the trials and tribulations of middle-school student Lizzie as she and her animated alter ego deal with the funny side of adolescence. An immediate hit on The Disney Channel, the show made Duff a recognizable face to television viewers, and Disney quickly responded by casting her in a made-for-cable movie, Cadet Kelly, which earned high ratings. In 2002, the actress also made a brief appearance in the offbeat comedy Human Nature, playing Young Lila, a hirsute child who grows up to become Patricia Arquette.

After the success of Lizzie McGuire, Duff branched out into music, writing and singing a song for the show's soundtrack album, and recording a Christmas album in 2002. Released in theaters in the summer of 2003, The Lizzie McGuire Movie provided the ideal cinematic alternative for pre-teen girls uninterested in the exploits of X2: X-Men United and too young to be swept up in the hype of The Matrix Reloaded. Taking in twice the cost of production in only four weeks at the box office, Duff stunned fans less than a month after the film's stateside release by announcing that, due to contract negotiation failures, she would be departing from the lucrative Lizzie McGuire franchise to pursue other career opportunities. By the time the show's finale aired in 2004, Duff had already kicked her film career into high gear, closing out 2003 with three hit films under her belt: Agent Cody Banks, the aforementioned Lizzie McGuire Movie, and the holiday blockbuster Cheaper by the Dozen.

Hoping to keep her momentum growing, Duff attached herself to another trio of features in 2004, two of which were helmed by Lizzie McGuire director Mark Rosman. ~ All Movie Guide

Arguably the only teen pop star with the potential to rival or surpass the popularity of Britney Spears -- albeit with a very different approach -- Hilary Duff made a name for herself on the enormously successful Disney Channel/ABC Kids show Lizzie McGuire, which she parlayed into careers as a pop singer and film actress. Like most overnight successes, Duff paid her dues for a few years before her big break. Appearances in the 1997 women's Western True Women, 1998's Casper (as the Friendly Ghost's human friend Wendy), and 1999's The Soul Collector paved the way for her best-known role. Lizzie McGuire, which chronicled the ups and downs of junior high schooler Lizzie's life with live-action and animated clips, debuted in 2001 and very quickly became a huge hit with the preteen set. Aside from the show's unique format, one of the main reasons for its success was Duff herself. As Lizzie, she was pretty, funny, and smart, but not intimidatingly so; she had two best friends, Gordo and Miranda, so she wasn't super-popular or an outcast; and she was confident enough to do her own thing, but still vulnerable enough to have crushes on unattainable boys.

At the same time Lizzie was taking off, Duff also appeared in the indie film Human Nature, reflecting her continuing big-screen aspirations. Lizzie McGuire mania continued through 2002, and Duff began her first steps toward her singing career with the song "Santa Claus Lane," which appeared on the soundtrack to The Santa Clause 2, as well as her own Christmas album, also named Santa Claus Lane. That year, production ended on Lizzie McGuire, freeing up Duff to pursue other opportunities. Episodes of the show continued to run into 2003, but by that time Duff had begun to move on, appearing in the teen spy movie Agent Cody Banks and playing Lizzie one last time in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, where funnily enough, she goes to Italy and is mistaken for a teen pop star. The soundtrack to the movie also featured several songs by Duff, including the singles "Why Not" and "I Can't Wait," which were both successes in their own right; the soundtrack went platinum in summer 2003.

Around that time, Metamorphosis, Duff's bona fide debut as a singer, was released. The album had a hipper and more eclectic sound than any of the material she had been given previously, and helped establish her as a personality outside of her Lizzie McGuire fame. The album charted number two on the Billboard 200 on the week of its release, and its single "So Yesterday" topped the pop singles chart earlier that summer. Duff's omnipresence in 2003 continued with appearances at that year's MTV Video Music Awards and the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, where she accepted Lizzie McGuire's trophy for Favorite TV Show. She also appeared in that year's film Cheaper By the Dozen and embarked on a tour that fall. The year 2004 looked to be just as busy for Duff, with movies like A Cinderella Story and Agent Cody Banks 2 on the docket, as well as a new TV series with CBS in the works. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Likes all types of music but dislikes techno music.

Plans on starting a design for dogs called Little Dog Duff named after her late dog of the same name.

Her favorite film is Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997).

Has been homeschooled since the age of 10. Along with her sister, currently taking two online correspondence courses via the Harvard Extension School.

Has been working for the charity Kids With a Cause (which helps children stricken by poverty, hunger, sickness, a lack of education, abandonment, neglect and/or abuse) since it was founded in September 1999, and is the 2004 Official International Spokesperson for the non-profit organization.

According to the Chinese Calender, she was born in the year of the rabbit.

Won the Fake ID Award in 2004 at the second annual TRL awards. The Fake ID Award is given to the hottest star under 21 and is voted by the people on mtv.com.

Was voted the Biggest Breakthough of 2003 at VH1's Big in 2003 award show.

Has her own clothing line "Stuff by Hilary Duff" at Target stores which made $5 million in its first year in stores.

She enjoys gymnastics, swimming, reading, singing, writing, and hanging out with older sister, Haylie Duff.

One of Teen People 25 Hottest Stars Under 25 [2004].

Was named the 14th Greatest Teen Idol of all time by VH1 in 2003, based on her acting, singing, public appearances and charity work.

Performed at 'President George Bush' 's youth inaugural concert. [2005]

Donated sales from her sold out Most Wanted Tour to the Tsunami victims in South Asia. [2005]

"Mom always tells me to celebrate everyone's uniqueness. I like the way that sounds."

"I think ambition can be having something that you're good at and love to do."

"Every week I read about myself in a magazine, about something that I haven't done or some place that I've never been or don't even know. It's just gossip, rumors, egos, and politics."

"As a child I was shy. Haylie would be the one to go up and talk to people."

"We're still a very tight-knit family, even though we live apart a lot. And now Haylie and I get to work together more and more. We're really close."

"I love doing emotional scenes. As I've had a perfect life I don't really have much to pull from. But it's really fun and not that challenging. It's almost pretty easy. The hardest thing is to try and make people laugh. That's a really hard thing."

Duff says she listens to a wide range of music: Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Sublime, 50 Cent. Some other facts about her: She refuses to eat eggs, which she refers to as "pre-life." She and Haylie joke about opening a Texas steakhouse in L.A., even though the restaurant thing didn't work out so well for Britney Spears. "Didn't somebody find something in the food there?" Hilary asks. She's currently reading a book by a psychic who claims that babies who die from sudden infant death syndrome have actually done so by choice. She has also started Hillary Clinton's autobiography. Her favorite television shows are Sex and the City and Nip/Tuck. After our interview, Duff has a photo shoot. "Then I have to go home and clean my room," she says, sighing.

Name               : Hilary Duff

Nickname        : Hill, Juicy

Birthday           : September, 28th 1987

Place of birth   : Houston, Texas, USA

Height              : 5'4" (160cm)

Hair Color       : Blonde

Eye Color         : Hazel


				~Hilary Duff~ *Biography*



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