Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, author and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. She began her acting career at a young age, quickly being labeled a teen idol as the title character in the Disney Channel comedy series Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004) and in the film based on the series, The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003).
Thereafter, she appeared in numerous mainstream films such as Cadet Kelly (2002), Agent Cody Banks (2003), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), and A Cinderella Story (2004). She later appeared in independent films playing a wider range of adult-themed roles, such as War, Inc. (2008), According to Greta (2009), Bloodworth (2011), and The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019). From 2015 to 2021, Duff starred as Kelsey Peters in TV Land's longest-running original series Younger, for which she received two People's Choice Awards nominations. Between 2022 and 2023, she has produced and starred as Sophie Tompkins in the Hulu sitcom How I Met Your Father.
Duff first came to prominence in the music industry after releasing her debut studio album, the Christmas-themed Santa Claus Lane (2002), through Buena Vista Records. Her second album, Metamorphosis (2003), was hugely successful, topping the Billboard 200 chart and earning a 3× Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She enjoyed significant commercial success with her subsequent Platinum and Gold-certified albums released through Hollywood Records; Hilary Duff (2004), Most Wanted (2005), and Dignity (2007). Following a hiatus from music, Duff signed with RCA Records for her fifth album, Breathe In. Breathe Out. (2015). Duff has been hailed as an inspiration by subsequent Disney teen stars such as Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Bridgit Mendler, and Selena Gomez, and has sold an estimated 15 million records worldwide.
In addition to music and acting, she has also co-authored a trilogy of novels, beginning with Elixir (2010), which became a New York Times best seller, and followed by the sequels Devoted (2011) and True (2013). Duff's success in the entertainment industry led her to venture into business with fashion lines of her own such as Stuff by Hilary Duff, Femme for DKNY, and the "Muse x Hilary Duff" collection, a collaborative effort with GlassesUSA which was credited to have boosted GlassesUSA's sales for its premium brands. She has also invested in a number of businesses ranging from cosmetics to children's products.
Early life
Hilary Erhard Duff was born on September 28, 1987, in Houston, Texas. Her parents are Robert Erhard Duff, a partner in a chain of convenience stores, and Susan Colleen Duff (née Cobb), a homemaker turned film and music producer. Duff has one older sister named Haylie. She was raised between Houston and San Antonio, the locations of her father's convenience stores. Encouraged by their mother, both Hilary and her sister enrolled in acting, singing, and ballet classes. The siblings earned roles in local theater productions, and later participated in a touring BalletMet production of The Nutcracker in San Antonio. Increasingly interested in the pursuit of show business, the Duff sisters and their mother moved to California in 1993, while their father stayed in Houston to take care of his business. The sisters auditioned for several years and were cast in many television commercials. Due to her acting career, Duff was home-schooled from the age of eight. The pair also modeled for various clothing brands. Duff stated, "My sister and I really showed an interest in and dedication, and was like, 'How can I tell my kids no?' It's the same as kids that are going into sports. Parents support them and push them."
