Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff is an actress, singer, and dancer who has achieved enormous success even though she’s still only a teenager. She has won numerous awards and is also well known for her charity work. 

Hilary Erhard Duff was born on September 28th, 1987. Her mother, Susan, is a successful producer and her father, Bob, owns a chain of convenience stores; nevertheless, they managed to home school Hilary and her older sister Haylie, now a member of pop group Inventing Venus, from the age of ten. The family was based in Houston, Texas.

Hilary became involved in performing at an early age, touring with BalletMet Columbus' production of The Nutcracker when she was just six years old. She went on to appear in advertising before landing her first movie role in made-for-TV western True Women, alongside Annabeth Gish and Angelina Jolie in 1997. The following year Duff gained popular acclaim for her role as a young witch in Casper Meets Wendy, and she subsequently appeared in The Soul Collector with Bruce Greenwood. Her performance with Greenwood resulted in a gong for Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot for Supporting Young Actress at the Young Artist Awards. These roles led to her big break as she landed the lead in the Disney Channel's family comedy Lizzie McGuire. The show became a record-breaking hit, spawning a feature film in 2003, and confirmed Duff's star status.

Having achieved success in film and television, Duff set out to break into the music business, starting by contributing to the soundtrack album for the Lizzie McGuire series. Her song “I Can't Wait” became a huge hit and the album eventually went platinum. Duff followed this up with a less successful Christmas album, Santa Claus Lane, and then went on to record her first serious album of her own, Metamorphosis. This album entered the charts at #2 and spent several weeks at the top, while Duff received praise for her mastery of several different vocal styles. She toured the world and went on to win Best New Female Artist and the Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Female Singer at the 2004 World Music Awards. Her video “Come Clean” was nominated for Best Pop Video at the 2004 MTV Music Awards, and Duff went on to make a series of special appearances on MTV.

Despite her success in the music business, Duff didn't lose interest in her movie career. Her 2003 hit Agent Cody Banks, in which she starred opposite Malcolm in the Middle's Frankie Muniz, was followed by a string of films including A Cinderella Story (Duff notes that Cinderella was her favorite fairytale when she was a child), Raise Your Voice, and The Perfect Man. In 2005's Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Duff starred alongside Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. Her latest film, Material Girls, opened in 2006 and features Anjelica Huston, Brent Spiner, and Lukas Haas, as well as her sister Haylie. 

In addition to success in music and acting, Duff has revealed herself as a shrewd businesswoman. She was listed as one of the top earners of 2005, and sells her own brand of clothing, Stuff by Hilary Duff, through Target stores.

Duff is also known for her charity work, helping out with numerous good causes. She has been closely involved with Kids with a Cause since its inception in 1999, working to help vulnerable children worldwide and to get more young people involved with charity. She donated large sums of her own money to help victims of Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami, and continues to support the American Red Cross. She does find time for a personal life, enjoying reading, swimming, and rollerblading. In 2006, Duff and her boyfriend of three years, Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden, broke up.

YUDDY