Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer, author, and businesswoman. Her accolades include a World Music Award, seven Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards, and two Young Artist Awards.
Duff began her acting career at a young age, and soon was labeled a teen idol. Duff played Lizzie McGuire in the Disney Channel comedy series Lizzie McGuire and in the film based on the series, The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Thereafter, she appeared in numerous mainstream films such as Cadet Kelly, Agent Cody Banks, Cheaper by the Dozen, A Cinderella Story, and Cheaper by the Dozen 2.
Duff later appeared in independent films playing a wider range of adult-themed roles, such as War, Inc., According to Greta, Bloodworth, and The Haunting of Sharon Tate. Duff starred as Kelsey Peters in TV Land's longest-running original series Younger which earned her award nominations, and produced and starred as Sophie Tompkins in the Emmy-winning Hulu sitcom How I Met Your Father.
In 2002, Duff entered the music industry, and her debut studio album, the Christmas-themed Santa Claus Lane, was released that year through Walt Disney Records. Duff later signed with Hollywood Records and achieved greater success with her second album, Metamorphosis, which topped the Billboard 200 chart and earned a 4× Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. She also enjoyed significant commercial success with her subsequent albums, Hilary Duff and Dignity, as well as the 2005 compilation Most Wanted which all went to be certified certified platinum or gold. Following a decrease in musical activity, Duff signed with RCA Records for her fifth album, Breathe In. Breathe Out., before transferring to Atlantic Records for her sixth album, Luck... or Something. She has been hailed as an inspiration by subsequent teen Disney Channel stars such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, and has sold an estimated 15 million records worldwide. Billboard ranked her at number 73 on their "Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century Chart" list. She appeared on Forbes annual Celebrity 100 list from 2004 to 2007.
In addition to music and acting, she has also co-authored a trilogy of novels, beginning with Elixir, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list, and followed by the sequels Devoted and True. Duff's success in the entertainment industry led her to venture into business with fashion and fragrance lines of her own such as Stuff by Hilary Duff, Femme for DKNY, and With Love... Hilary Duff. She is the Chief Brand Director of Below 60°, a line of home fragrance products. 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, a homemaker turned film and music producer. Duff has one older sister named Haylie. She was raised between Houston and San Antonio, where her father operated 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."Career
1993–1999: Career beginnings
During her initial acting years, Duff primarily played minor roles, such as her uncredited part in the Hallmark Entertainment western miniseries True Women and as an uncredited extra in the ensemble comedy-drama Playing by Heart. The same year, Duff landed her first major role as Wendy in Casper Meets Wendy, based on the Harvey Comics characters. After appearing in the supporting role of Ellie in the television film The Soul Collector, Duff received a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot. In March 2000, Duff appeared as a sick child in the CBS medical drama series Chicago Hope. She was next cast as one of the children in the pilot episode of the NBC comedy series Daddio. Her Daddio co-star Michael Chiklis stated, "After working with her the first day, I remember saying to my wife, 'This young girl is gonna be a movie star.' She was completely at ease with herself and comfortable in her own skin." However, producers dropped Duff from the cast prior to the airing of the show.2000–2003: Mainstream success, ''Lizzie McGuire'', and ''Metamorphosis''
A week after being dropped from Daddio, Duff landed the title role of a newly developed Disney Channel series, Lizzie McGuire. Lizzie McGuire premiered on January 12, 2001, and became a ratings hit, with an estimated 2.3 million viewers per episode. Duff quickly became labeled as a teen idol and household name, particularly within the show's pre-teen adolescent target demographic. Disney began marketing the series through soundtracks, books, dolls, toys, and video games based on Duff's character; the company reportedly made an estimated $100 million from the show's merchandise alone. The actress was featured in the Game Boy Advance video games that were created for her Lizzie McGuire character. Duff made her feature film debut in Human Nature, in which she portrayed the younger version of Patricia Arquette's character. Duff also starred in the 2002 Disney Channel television film Cadet Kelly, for which she took a month of military training. The film became the network's most watched program in its then 19-year history.Duff began making appearances on various soundtracks for the Disney channel, recording a cover of the Brooke McClymont song "I Can't Wait" for the soundtrack to Lizzie McGuire. She later recorded a cover of "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" for DisneyMania. Upon expressing interest in a music career, production on Duff's debut Christmas themed album began. Santa Claus Lane was released in October 2002, peaking in the lower portion of the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. The album was initially distributed through Walt Disney Records, with Buena Vista Records later re-releasing the project. It went on to receive a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments exceeding 500,000 copies. The album was initially only released in North America, and received numerous re-releases in the following years. Duff later signed a recording contract with Andre Recke of Hollywood Records to release future recordings. Though her early music recordings garnered much airplay on Radio Disney, Recke and Buena Vista Records envisioned Duff appealing to a more mature audience.
In March 2003, Duff featured in the children's action comedy film Agent Cody Banks with Frankie Muniz. Scott Foundas of Variety called Duff's performance "charming", but thought she was "sidelined with little to do much of the time". The same year, Duff reprised her role as Lizzie McGuire for The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Duff recorded the original song "What Dreams Are Made Of" for the film's finale, which was later included on the film's soundtrack. She also recorded the single "Why Not", which charted within the top 20 in Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The soundtrack to The Lizzie McGuire Movie went on to be certified Platinum in Canada and 2× Platinum by the RIAA.
Duff released her second studio album, Metamorphosis, in August 2003. The album received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. In the United States, it went on to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart. The album became a major success for Duff, selling over five million copies within its first two years of release. Metamorphosis sold over three million copies in the United States, becoming her highest selling album to date and earning a 3× Platinum certification from the RIAA. The album spawned the successful singles "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean". "So Yesterday" achieved Platinum status in Australia and "Come Clean" received a Gold certification from the RIAA in the United States. "Come Clean" was used as the theme song to the MTV series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Metamorphosis earned Duff multiple awards and nominations following its release. Duff further promoted the album with the Metamorphosis Tour that ran from November to December 2003. Later that year, Duff co-starred as one of the twelve children of Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt in the family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen, which remains her highest-grossing film to date. Slant Magazine reviewer Nick Schager wrote that Duff "does nothing more than look perky and stylish."
2004–2006: ''Hilary Duff'', ''Most Wanted'', and film projects
Lizzie McGuire aired its final episode on February 14, 2004, following the fulfillment of Duff's 65-episode contract. Despite reports that the series was in talks for a second film and further television spin-off considered for sister network ABC, these plans fell through as Duff's salary for the proposal was insufficient.In 2004, Duff starred opposite Chad Michael Murray in the romantic comedy A Cinderella Story. The film went on to become a moderate box office hit, and received negative reviews. At the 2004 World Music Awards, she won the Best New Female Artist award. Her self-titled third studio album was released in September of that year. Duff was more involved in the production of this album than she had been in her previous record. The album, featuring prominent rock elements and drawing comparison to works from Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and went on to sell over 1.8 million copies in the United States. The album contained the single "Fly" which failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but performed moderately worldwide. Later in the year, Duff starred in the musical drama Raise Your Voice, which was panned and unsuccessful at the box office. Several reviews were critical of her vocals, a number finding fault with what appeared to be her digitally enhanced voice. Her performances in A Cinderella Story and Raise Your Voice earned Duff her first Razzie nomination for Worst Actress in 2004. Duff launched her first clothing line, "Stuff by Hilary Duff", in 2004. The line was distributed by Target Corporation in the U.S., Kmart in Australia, Zellers in Canada, and Edgars Stores in South Africa from March 2004 until 2007.
In 2005, she starred alongside Heather Locklear in the film The Perfect Man, which went on to become a box office success. The Village Voice's Matt Singer wrote, "Duff plays her standard character—an introverted romantic who falls for a guy whose hunky exterior belies an artistic soul." That August, Duff released her first compilation album, Most Wanted. The album featured songs from Duff's previous albums, as well as remixes and new material. It included the hit single "Wake Up", which became her second single to be certified Gold by the RIAA. The compilation debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and sold over one million copies a month after its release. Duff later appeared in Cheaper by the Dozen 2, which resulted in her second Razzie nomination for Worst Actress in 2005. Mike Clarke of USA Today said, "Duff just looks like she'd rather be in a different movie."
Duff co-starred with her sister Haylie in the satirical comedy Material Girls. The film earned both sisters a shared Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress, becoming Duff's third consecutive nomination in three years. The sisters were also nominated for Worst Screen Couple. Hilary and Haylie collaborated on a cover of Madonna's single "Material Girl" for the film's soundtrack. Duff released her first perfume, "With Love... Hilary Duff", in September 2006. The line was distributed by the Elizabeth Arden company. Initially only sold in Macy's department stores, the fragrance became available in Europe, Japan, and Canada and was one of the three best-selling fragrances launched in department stores in 2006. That same year, Duff was stalked by a 19-year-old Russian immigrant identified as Max and his 50-year-old roommate David Joseph Klein. She filed for restraining orders against the two men, claiming that Max "threatened to kill himself" to get her attention. She also alleged that he threatened to "remove enemies" who stand in his way, including Duff's then-boyfriend Joel Madden. Max, later identified as Maksim Myaskovskiy, was sentenced to 117 days in prison.