Arguably the only een pop star with
the potential to rival or surpass the popularity of
Britney Spears -- albeit with a very different
approach -- Hilary Duff made a name for herself on
the enormously successful Disney Channel/ABC Kids
show Lizzie McGuire, which she parlayed into careers
as a op singer and film actress. Like most overnight
successes, Duff paid her dues for a few years before
her big break. Appearances in the 1997 women's
Western True Women, 1998's Casper (as the Friendly
Ghost's human friend Wendy), and 1999's The Soul
Collector paved the way for her best-known role.
Lizzie McGuire, which chronicled the ups and downs
of junior high schooler Lizzie's life with live-action
and animated clips, debuted in 2001 and very quickly
became a huge hit with the preteen set. Aside from
the show's unique format, one of the main reasons
for its success was Duff herself. As Lizzie, she was
pretty, funny, and smart, but not intimidatingly so;
she had two best friends, Gordo and Miranda, so she
wasn't super-popular or an outcast; and she was
confident enough to do her own thing, but still
vulnerable enough to have crushes on unattainable
boys.
At the same time Lizzie was taking off, Duff also
appeared in the indie film Human Nature, reflecting
her continuing big-screen aspirations. Lizzie
McGuire mania continued through 2002, and Duff began
her first steps toward her singing career with the
song "Santa Claus Lane," which appeared on the
oundtrack to The Santa Clause 2, as well as her own
hristmas album, also named Santa Claus Lane. That
year, production ended on Lizzie McGuire, freeing up
Duff to pursue other opportunities. Episodes of the
show continued to run into 2003, but by that time
Duff had begun to move on, appearing in the teen spy
movie Agent Cody Banks and playing Lizzie one last
time in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, where funnily
enough, she goes to Italy and is mistaken for a een
pop star. The oundtrack to the movie also featured
several songs by Duff, including the singles "Why
Not" and "I Can't Wait," which were both successes
in their own right; the oundtrack went platinum in
summer 2003.
Around that time, Metamorphosis, Duff's bona fide
debut as a singer, was released. The album had a
hipper and more eclectic sound than any of the
material she had been given previously, and helped
establish her as a personality outside of her Lizzie
McGuire fame. The album charted number two on the
Billboard 200 on the week of its release, and its
single "So Yesterday" topped the op singles chart
earlier that summer. Duff's omnipresence in 2003
continued with appearances at that year's MTV Video
Music Awards and the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards,
where she accepted Lizzie McGuire's trophy for
Favorite TV Show. She also appeared in that year's
film Cheaper By the Dozen and embarked on a tour
that fall. The year 2004 looked to be just as busy
for Duff, with movies like A Cinderella Story and
Agent Cody Banks 2 on the docket, as well as a new
TV series with CBS in the works. |
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