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 McGuire
Main article: Lizzie McGuire
Duff 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 projects
During 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.
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 McGuire
Main article: Lizzie McGuire
Duff 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 projects
During 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.
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