Hilary Duff

Texas bred singer, author, and actress Hilary Duff is a beloved American generational figure who continues to build upon her status as a Disney Channel-icon, releasing Top Ten pop albums, starring in film and TV shows, and representing her varied business enterprises. Famed as the titular star of the Disney Channel teen sitcom Lizzie McGuire, Duff enjoyed success from a young age, starring in the film The Santa Clause 2 and releasing her companion, Christmas-themed debut. However, it was with 2023's Metamorphosis that she emerged as a pop force, topping the Billboard 100 and scoring hits like "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean;" songs that smartly blended bubblegum hooks with pop-punk and emo influences. Each of her albums, including 2004's Hilary Duff, 2007's Dignity, and 2015's Breathe In. Breathe Out. reached the Top Ten. All the while, she enjoyed equal success as an actor, starring in early vehicles like The Lizzie McGuire Movie, A Cinderella Story, and The Perfect Man before taking on more mature roles in productions like Material Girls, Gossip Girl, Younger, and How I Met Your Father. She also co-wrote several young adult-fiction novels and launched her own fashion and fragrances lines. Along with starring in the Hulu drama Pretty Ugly, Duff marked her return to music with 2026's Luck...or Something, her sixth full-length album, featuring the single "Mature."

Born in 1987 in Houston, Texas, Duff started performing at a young age, taking acting, singing, and ballet lessons. By 1993, she had moved to Los Angeles with her mother to pursue acting opportunities. Appearances in the 1997 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 a junior high schooler's life using live-action and animated clips, debuted in 2001 and quickly became a 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 blaze her own trail, 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 took 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 Duff up 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 at number two on the Billboard 200 in 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.

Duff remained just as busy in 2004. She appeared in movies like A Cinderella Story, Agent Cody Banks, and Raise Your Voice, and also released her self-titled second album, which exchanged the neutral fluffiness of Metamorphosis for an anthemic rock-pop style consistent with efforts from Ashlee Simpson and Avril Lavigne. The record continued to shape Duff's public persona, which was a continually evolving dynamo of branding, image, and teenage ambition. Released on September 28 (her 17th birthday), Hilary Duff eventually peaked at number two on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Internet Albums charts, and helped Hilary net "Most Searched by Kids and Teens on AOL" honors and more Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Publicity for the album continued into 2005. That June, The Perfect Man debuted; in a bit of genius casting, it featured Heather Locklear as Duff's unlucky-in-love mother.

In July, Duff started preparing for the August release of Most Wanted. The collection included three new songs -- including the single "Wake Up," written by Benji and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte -- as well as remixed versions of past Hilary hits like "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean." There was also the Most Wanted tour, which stretched into September, ending just in time for her 18th birthday. By this point, the Hilary Duff promotion machine was in overdrive: her website offered a pay-as-you-go mobile phone branded with her name and bundled with Hilary-themed ringtones and wallpapers. During 2006, Duff worked on the films War Inc. and Material Girls, and also found time to work on her fourth album, Dignity, which was inspired in part by her breakup with Joel Madden. Dignity was released in spring 2007, inspiring favorable reviews from critics but relatively lukewarm sales from the public; nevertheless, it was certified gold by the RIAA.

Following Dignity, Duff stayed away from music for a prolonged period of time. A hits album called Best of Hilary Duff appeared in time for Christmas 2008. During this time, she continued to act -- notably, she appeared in the Polish Brothers' 2011 film Stay Cool -- and she also launched a young adult novel series called Elixir in 2010; the three books in the series were co-written with Elise Allen. Duff began working on her next album in 2014, completing the record in 2015. Preceded by the single "Sparks," Breathe In. Breathe Out. saw a June release; it debuted at five on the Billboard charts.

From 2015 to 2021, she starred in the Darren Star-produced TV series Younger, for which she also recorded several songs, including covers of Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" and Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies." It was also during this period that she married musician Matthew Koma, with whom she has three daughters. Inspired by her life as a parent, she authored the companion children's picture books My Little Brave Girl and My Little Sweet Boy. From 2022 to 2023, she both starred in and produced the How I Met Your Mother spin-off series How I Met Your Father. More acting roles followed with the Hulu-series Pretty Ugly, in which she also starred. Signing to Atlantic Records, Duff marked her return to pop music with her sixth full-length album, 2026's Luck...or Something. She heralded the project with "Mature," a synthy, dance-rock anthem co-produced by her husband Koma, as well Madison Love and Brian Phillips. In addition to that aptly-titled single, she also issued the unflinching "Roommates." ~ Matt Collar & Heather Phares