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Houston-native, Hilary Duff started off as the quintessential child star, working her way up from commercials and minor TV movie roles to becoming a household name through Disney. At her peak, Duff had a starring role in a hit TV series, multiple movies, a clothing line, a singing career, and had featured on countless covers of top magazines. Who didn’t own something from the Duff? I know I did.
After getting married to ex-husband Mike Comrie and having her son Luca, Duff slowly began fading away from the spotlight. However, since divorcing Comrie in 2016, Duff made her way back with an album and another leading role in the Hallmark hit series Younger. She’s often mentioned as the one Disney star who matured in the industry without going “crazy” or “drama”.
Here’s a look back at some of the Duff’s most memorable work, moments, and more.
Casper Meets Wendy
Duff’s first major role is the 1998 direct-to-video film, Casper Meets Wendy. Barely 11 years old, you can already notice her charm on the screen.
Lizzie McGuire
This series ended up being a true game changer for Duff. It became a hit with an average of 2.3 million viewers per episode, making her a household name over night. The series followed her character through the awkward middle school years and through Duff’s relateable performance, she had everyone wishing she was their bestie.
Relationship Drama and Celebrity Feuds
While riding high on the back of the hit series, Duff began an infamous relationship with pop star Aaron Carter, the little brother of Backstreet Boys‘ Nick Carter. Everything seemed like sunshine and rainbows until it came out Carter had been dating fellow teen star Lindsay Lohan at the same time.
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This of course triggered a feud between the two ladies, with both throwing shade and showing up at each other’s movie premiers. Duff also briefly feuded with singer Avril Lavigne after telling a reporter she should appreciate her fans more.
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Lizzie McGuire the Movie
A hit movie for a hit TV series is a must. It also spawned two hit songs for Duff lighting a fire on her singing career.
Stuff By Hilary Duff
Following her success and the massive fame, Duff released a clothing line targeted towards pre-teens inspired by her personal style and the style of her character Lizzie McGuire. The clothes could be found in Target and Kmart. In 2008, the line became discontinued.
Movies
Duff did a string of teen movies including, A Cinderella Story, Cheaper By the Dozen, Raise Your Voice, The Perfect Man, and Material Girls with her older sister, Haylie Duff.
New Relationship
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Duff surprised everyone when since began dating Good Charlotte member Joel Madden. They were the quintessential bad boy and good girl pair in the mid-2000s. However, this relationship came to end after two years and Madden quickly bounced back with Hollywood socialite Nicole Richie after only a month.
Dignity
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In 2007, Duff went for a complete image and style change with the release of Dignity. She went from blonde to brunette, became slimmer, and exchanged her signature bubble gum pop sound for a mature dance and electronic sound. Singles included “Play With Fire“, “With Love“, and “Stranger“. She also released a signature perfume called With Love.
Marriage and Son
Duff married NHL player Micheal Comrie in 2010 and the two had an adorable little named Luca. The pair separated in 2014, and Duff filed for divorce in 2016, which is now final. She has primary custody of their son.
Comeback
Duff released her fifth studio album Breathe In. Breathe Out. addressing her failing marriage and her new single life. To promote the album she made a Tinder account even going on dates with a couple men on the app. The singles included, “Chasing the Sun“, “All About You“, and “Sparks“.
She also began co-starring in the TV series Younger on TV Land. In April, the series was renewed for a fifth season, ahead of it’s fourth season premiere. Looks like life as the Duff is not half bad. Can’t wait to see what comes next for this Houston star.