Early work
Duff's early career was marked by playing minor roles, starting off with an uncredited appearance in Hallmark Entertainment's western miniseries
True Women in 1997. She also served as an
extra, again uncredited, in writer-director Willard Carroll's ensemble dramedy
Playing by Heart in 1998. Her first major part was as a star of the 1998 film
Casper Meets Wendy, playing the young witch
Wendy, who encounters the animated character
Casper. Like
Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997), the second sequel to the successful
Casper (1995), the film was released
direct-to-video with mostly unenthusiastic reviews.
In 1999, Duff appeared in a supporting role in the television film
The Soul Collector, which was based on a Kathleen Kane novel and starred
Bruce Greenwood and
Melissa Gilbert. Duff won a
Young Artist Award for "Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot (Supporting Young Actress)" for her role in the movie.
Duff's first serious shot at fame came when she was cast as one of the children in the
pilot episode of the
NBC sitcom
Daddio in 2000. Actor
Michael Chiklis, co-star of Daddio stated, "After working with her the first day, I remember saying to my wife, 'This young girl is going to be a movie star'. She was completely at ease with herself and comfortable in her own skin."
[7]Lizzie McGuireMain article:
Lizzie McGuireDuff was dropped from the cast of Daddio prior to it being aired, which made her reluctant to pursue her acting career further. However, her manager and mother spurred her on, and a week later she successfully auditioned for a
Children's television series,
Lizzie McGuire. In the series, Duff portrayed the title role of
Lizzie McGuire, a clumsy but an average middle school girl. The show focused on her life and her slow growth into teenhood. Her co-stars included
Lalaine,
Adam Lamberg,
Jake Thomas,
Clayton Snyder,
Ashlie Brillault,
Robert Carradine, and
Hallie Todd.
Lizzie McGuire, which first aired on the
Disney Channel in
January 12,
2001, was a ratings hit, drawing in 2.3 million viewers per episode,
[7] and became the career breakthrough Duff had been waiting for. Her participation in the show led to her becoming highly popular among children between the ages of seven and fourteen, with critic Richard Huff of the
New York Daily News calling her "A 2002 version of
Annette Funicello".
[7] After Duff fulfilled her sixty-five episode contract with Lizzie McGuire, Disney considered continuing the franchise in further films and a prime-time television series to be broadcast on
ABC, but the plans failed to take off. However, she went on to reprise her role as Lizzie McGuire in the successful feature film spin-off,
The Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003.
Other projectsDuring her time on Lizzie McGuire, Duff starred opposite
Christy Carlson Romano and
Gary Cole in the Disney Channel television film
Cadet Kelly (2002), which became the network's most watched program in its nineteen-year history.
[7]Duff also made several guest appearances in television shows, her first as a sick child in the medical drama
Chicago Hope in March 2000.
[8] In a 2003 episode of
George Lopez, she had a role as a makeup salesperson; she later reappeared in the show in 2005 as a feminist poet friend of Carmen (
Masiela Lusha). In 2003, she acted opposite her sister Haylie in
American Dreams, while in 2005, she played a classmate and idolizer of the title character of
Joan of Arcadia. During her Most Wanted tour, she performed in
Guadalajara,
Mexico, where she filmed a brief appearance on the soap opera
Rebelde. She was also the guest star on
The Andy Milonakis Show for its third season premiere in 2007.
[9]In January 2007, Hilary launched The Hilary Duff Podcast on Switchpod.com. Subscribers can access behind-the-scenes footage of Hilary and her band rehearsing. A few select users also get to access pre-concert sound checks, and watch footage of rare performances. They also get a sneak peek of fashion fittings, magazine photo shoots and fashion events, as well as learn more about the charities and causes close to Hilary's heart.
