ARTIST

Hilary Duff

Teen actress Hilary Duff quickly rose to fame on the strength of her winning performance on the successful television series Lizzy McGuire. Hilary Duff was born in Houston, Texas on September 28, 1987. At the age of six, Duff developed an interest in dance and began taking ballet lessons; later the same year, she made her stage debut in a Christmas production of The Nutcracker. However, after being cast in a television commercial, Duff developed a stronger passion for acting, and in 1998 she 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 in a guest appearance on Chicago Hope, Duff was cast in the title role of Lizzy McGuire in 2001. A situation comedy for young people, Lizzy McGuire concerns the trials and tribulations of middle-school student Lizzy as she and her animated alter ego deal with the funny side of adolescence. An immediate hit on cable TV outlet The Disney Channel, Lizzie McGuire 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, Duff also made a brief appearance in the offbeat comedy Human Nature, playing Young Lila, a hirsute child who grows up to become Patricia Arquette's character. After the success of Lizzie McGuire, Duff branched out into music, writing and singing a song for the Lizzie McGuire soundtrack album and releasing a Christmas album in 2002. At this writing, Duff has two feature films in development scheduled for release in 2003.

Written by All Movie Guide