NEED TO KNOW
- Hilary Duff remembered how getting fired at 11 years outdated led to her getting solid as Lizzie McGuire within the sequence of the identical title
- Duff mentioned that she virtually left Hollywood after the profession setback
- Duff is trying again at her early days in present enterprise as she gears up for her new album, luck…or one thing, which will likely be launched early subsequent yr
Hilary Duff landed the position of a lifetime — however solely as a result of she acquired fired first.
Duff, 38, opened up about her profession in a brand new interview for Selection. The actress is gearing as much as launch a brand new album, her first since 2015’s Breathe In. Breathe Out. and mirrored on how her early music was formed.
Duff’s journey into music intersected together with her casting because the title center schooler in Disney’s Lizzie McGuire, which premiered in 2001. Her music debut got here on the soundtrack to the sequence, 2002’s Lizzie McGuire, She launched her first album, Metamorphosis in 2003, the identical yr The Lizzie McGuire Film was launched, which featured her songs “Why Not” and “What Desires Are Made from.”
Speaking to Selection about “Why Not,” Duff mirrored on how she acquired solid as Lizzie. “The audition for the TV present was loopy. I had determined that I wished to return to Texas and be a ‘regular child,’ ” she defined.
She was notably upset after she’d misplaced an early job. “I had simply gotten changed off of a TV present as a result of they changed me with twins, so they may work longer hours,” she mentioned. “And I bear in mind being like, ‘I acquired fired. 11 years outdated and I acquired fired from a job.’ It was like completely devastating.”
However earlier than Duff left Hollywood, “My supervisor known as my mother and was like, ‘Disney needs to see Hilary for this factor.’ ”
Duff, dejected, wasn’t fascinated with giving the Lizzie McGuire audition her all. “I walked in and I used to be tremendous unprepared. It was like a monologue.” Duff will “always remember” that the casting director Robin Lippin known as her out. “She was like, ‘You’re not very ready for this.’ ” Duff was embarrassed, however, she mentioned, “I at all times form of love a problem.”
The casting director requested, “‘Are you able to go be higher ready and are available again tomorrow?’ And I used to be like ‘Sure I can.’ ”
Duff wasn’t going to mess up once more. “I got here again the following day and I used to be utterly off ebook. And I had it down and I really cherished the edges,” she mentioned. She went to a number of rounds of auditions — together with one the place they requested her for her particular expertise. She walked round on her palms, remembering, “I feel I used to be attempting to shock everyone.” As soon as she acquired the job, her gymnastics previous “got here in helpful,” since Lizzie usually confirmed off her personal acrobatic abilities.
Lizzie McGuire helped make Disney Channel a vacation spot for preteens, however the sequence resulted in 2004. She continued to behave in movies, together with Agent Cody Banks, Cheaper by the Dozen and A Cinderella Story, but additionally continued to launch music, with 2004’s Hilary Duff and 2007’s Dignity. After pausing her music profession, she continued to behave, with starring roles on Youthful and How I Met Your Father.
Trying again at her early music profession, she informed Selection, “I feel it was a mixture of not solely realizing what I used to be doing and in addition being thrilled to be a pop star.” She took ‘voice classes’ from a younger age, however didn’t consider herself as a “singer.” She was finally impressed by Britney Spears.
“I used to be like, properly I’m additionally gonna be a pop star, so watch this,” she joked.
Duff launched her first single in over a decade, “Mature,” earlier this month, and her album, luck…or one thing will likely be launched in February 2026. In an announcement, she defined, “I’m usually requested how I nonetheless have my head on straight after rising up on this trade. The album title is my manner of answering that query.”
Duff informed Selection she’s notably excited to reconnect together with her outdated music catalogue throughout her upcoming mini tour. “For the primary time in a extremely very long time, like 15 years possibly, I really feel so excited to sing my outdated songs once more,” she mentioned. She mentioned doing the songs her manner will “be a extremely pretty victory lap.”