What to know
- Hilary Duff starred in the Disney Channel original show Lizzie McGuire from 2001 to 2004.
- Between 2002 and 2015, she released five studio albums, Santa Claus Lane, Metamorphosis, Hilary Duff, Dignity and Breathe In, Breathe Out.
- Her forthcoming album, luck… or something, will be out February 20.
For over two decades, Hilary Duff has been THAT GIRL. From gracing our television screens in the early 2000s as Lizzie McGuire to releasing four pop albums that all charted on the Billboard Hot 200, her career is one to remember.
In anticipation of her January 24th show at HISTORY in support of her forthcoming album luck… or something, here is a non-definitive timeline of her career as an actress and musician.
1998-2000: Early years
Duff began her acting career at a mere 11-years-old as Wendy in the comedy movie Casper Meets Wendy, based on the beloved character Casper the Friendly Ghost. In 1999, she won a Young Artist Award for her portrayal of Ellie in The Soul Collector.
2001-2004: Lizzie McGuire
On Jan. 12, 2001, the first episode of Lizzie McGuire premiered on Disney Channel, with Duff taking on the titular character, Lizzie McGuire. The show was a smash hit, with an estimated 2.3 million views per episode. The sitcom’s popularity and quirkiness — with her sassy cartoon character sporting orange platform sandals — launched Duff to teen idol status, spurring a second season, boatloads of merch and a 2003 movie that served as the show’s finale, The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
Also in 2003, she recorded the song “What Dreams Are Made Of” for the movie’s soundtrack, which went Platinum in Canada and double Platinum in the United States.
2002: Cadet Kelly
Between filming episodes of Lizzie McGuire, Duff starred alongside Christy Carlson Romano — of Even Stevens fame — in the straight-to-TV Disney Channel movie Cadet Kelly, which spawned the memorable ‘dance off’.
Read More
2002: Santa Claus Lane
In her first foray into music, Duff released Santa Claus Lane in the Fall of 2002. The album debuted at #154 on the Billboard Hot 200 and sold more than 500,000 copies, becoming certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
2003: Cheaper by the Dozen
On Christmas Day 2003, Duff played one of 12 children on the family comedy, Cheaper by the Dozen, alongside Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. The film remains her highest grossing to date.
2003-2015: Metamorphosis, Hilary Duff, Dignity, Breathe In, Breathe Out
Between 2003 and 2015, Duff released four more pop albums. In 2003, she put out her sophomore album, Metamorphosis, which topped the Billboard 200 at #1 and generated singles “Come Clean” and “So Yesterday,” with the former spending 13 weeks on the Billboard Top 100.
In 2004, she put out her third album,Hilary Duff, which debuted at #2 and sold over a million copies. Her 2007 album Dignity, was met with critical praise and dealt with serious subject matter such as her parents’ divorce and her breakup with Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden. Although Dignity didn’t reach the same level of commercial success as her previous work, its lead single, “With Love” remains her highest charting song to date.
Duff’s final album before her 10-year hiatus, Breathe In, Breathe Out, was a bit of a flop in comparison and did not earn her any RIAA certifications.
2010: Elixir
In the Fall of 2010, Duff teamed up with writer and TV producer Elise Allen on Elixir, a novel aimed at young adults. The book became a New York Times bestseller.
2019-2020: The Lizzie McGuire reboot
In 2019, Duff was in talks to star in the Lizzie McGuire reboot, which was supposed to feature McGuire as a 30-year-old navigating living in New York City. The show was scrapped the following year due to creative differences between her and creator/showrunner Terri Minsky
2021: How I Met Your Mother reboot
Duff starred on the Hulu backed How I Met Your Mother reboot, titled How I Met Your Father, for two seasons, playing the main character Sophie, and also producing on the show.
2025-2026: luck… or something
On Nov. 6, 2025, longtime fans of Duff collectively freaked out over “Mature,” her first single in a decade. Around the same time, she announced her sixth studio album, luck…or something, out February 20, and Small Rooms, Big Nerves, an intimate four-date tour that will make stops in Toronto, London, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles.
She’ll be gracing audiences at HISTORY on January 24.
