Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and book author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, Duff gained fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She subsequently has appeared in films, including The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Cheaper by the Dozen, A Cinderella Story and Cheaper by the Dozen 2.As a singer, Duff released an RIAA-certified triple-platinum debut album, Metamorphosis. Her next two albums, Hilary Duff and Most Wanted, were certified platinum. Her 2007 album Dignity was certified gold and spawned her highest charting US single as of 2011, "With Love". Best of Hilary Duff, a greatest-hits compilation, was released in late 2008. Duff has sold over 13 million records worldwide. Billboard ranked her the 69th best selling artist of the 2000s.
Duff has also launched her own clothing lines, Stuff by Hilary Duff and Femme for DKNY Jeans, and signed with IMG Models. She has also released two perfume collections with Elizabeth Arden. Her other business ventures include writing a young adult novel, Elixir, and working as an executive producer for the film According to Greta and as a producer for the films Material Girls and Beauty & the Briefcase.
Hilary Erhard Duff was born on September 28, 1987 in Houston, Texas, to Susan Colleen (née Cobb), a homemaker, and Robert Erhard Duff, a partner in a chain of convenience stores. Duff has an elder sister, Haylie, who is also an actress and singer. Her mother encouraged her to enroll in acting classes alongside Haylie. Both girls won roles in local theatre productions. At the ages of six and eight, the two sisters participated in a BalletMet Columbus production of The Nutcracker Suite in San Antonio. The sisters became increasingly interested in acting professionally. Their mother moved with them to California, but their father stayed in Houston to maintain his business. Because she had been pursuing a professional acting career at such a young age, Duff was home-schooled. The sisters auditioned for several years and were cast in several television commercials.
Early in her acting career, Duff primarily played minor roles. In 1997, she appeared uncredited in the Hallmark Entertainment western miniseries True Women. The following year, she played an uncredited extra in an ensemble dramedy, Playing by Heart. Her first major role was a young witch, Wendy, in Casper Meets Wendy. The film, however, was released to mostly unenthusiastic reviews. In 1999, Duff appeared in a supporting role in the television film The Soul Collector, which was based on a Kathleen Kane novel. For her performance, Duff won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot (Supporting Young Actress).
