Pop icon and actor Hilary Duff has opened up about her enduring legacy, revealing she feels immense pride in having shaped the childhoods of an entire generation.
Reflecting on her massive, decade-spanning career across both music and television, the “Lizzie McGuire” star warmly described her unique connection with millennial and Gen-Z fans as a lifelong “badge of honour.”
Duff emphasised that knowing her early work remains a safe space and a cherished memory for millions of people worldwide is an extraordinary privilege she never takes for granted.
“I hear that a lot from people, [that I was an important part of their childhood], and I wear a badge of honour,” Duff said.
Duff first gained recognition with her role in “Casper Meets Wendy” (1998), before becoming a household name in 2001 after landing the title role in Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire”. The series established her as one of the most recognisable young stars of the early 2000s.
She went on to star in several popular films, including “Cadet Kelly”, “Agent Cody Banks”, “A Cinderella Story”, “Cheaper by the Dozen”, “Cheaper by the Dozen 2”, and “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”.
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Alongside her acting success, Duff built a successful music career with the release of “Santa Claus Lane” in 2002, followed by “Metamorphosis” (2003), “Hilary Duff” (2004), and “Dignity” (2007).
In recent months, Duff has embraced the nostalgia surrounding her early career. She returned to live performances with “Small Rooms, Big Nerves” music outing in January, her first tour in more than a decade, and has since launched “The Lucky Me” tour.
Her recent setlists feature some of her biggest hits, including “Wake Up”, “So Yesterday”, “With Love”, “Why Not’, and “Come Clean”.
For the first time, she has also been performing “What Dreams Are Made of”, the fan-favourite song from “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”.
“What’s been so fun about the live shows is realising how much the old songs mean to people,” Duff said, adding, “a lot of those songs just live rent-free in my head, so it’ll be nice for the other music to catch up and join the mix.”
Duff also spoke about reconnecting with longtime fans while promoting her newer music, saying the shared experiences of growing older have strengthened that bond.