Biography Hilary Duff

Birth name Hilary Erhard Duff
Born September 28, 1987
Origin Houston, Texas, United States
Genre(s) Pop
Occupation(s) Actres s, singer
Instrument(s) singer  , Guitar
Years active 1997-present
Label(s) Hollywood

For the Scott Cain song, see Hilary Duff (song).

Hilary Erhard Duff[1] (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. After gaining fame for her starring role on the television show Lizzie McGuire, she has gone on to have a film career, with roles in high profile releases such as Cheaper by the Dozen and A Cinderella Story. Duff has also expanded her repertoire into pop music, with four albums.Contents [hide]
  Biography

Early life and career

Duff was born in Houston, Texas, the second child of Robert Erhard Duff, owner of a chain of convenience stores, and Susan Colleen Cobb, a homemaker. Duff’s middle name of “Erhard” was the maiden name of her paternal grandmother, Mary Erhard, who was of part German descent.[1] After Duff’s mother encouraged her to take an acting class alongside her older sister, Haylie, both girls won parts in various local theatre productions. At the age of six, the Duff sisters participated in the ballet The Nutcracker Suite with Columbus Ballet Met in San Antonio. The siblings became more enthusiastic about the idea of acting professionally, and eventually relocated to California with their mother. Robert Duff stayed at the family home in Houston to maintain their business. After several years of auditions and meetings, the Duff sisters were cast in several television commercials and launched their careers. [2] She was home educated, according to mizz mag.

Television and film

Most of Duff’s first few acting roles were small, starting off with an uncredited appearance in Hallmark Entertainment’ s western miniseries True Women (1997). She also served as an extra, again uncredited, in writer/director Willard Carroll’s ensemble comedy drama Playing by Heart (1998). Her first major part was as the star of the 1998 film Casper Meets Wendy, playing the young witch, Wendy, who encounters the animated character Casper. Like Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997), the second sequel to the successful Casper (1995), the film was released direct-to-video with generally unenthusiastic reviews.

Duff later appeared in a supporting role in the television movie The Soul Collector (1999), which was based on a Kathleen Kane novel, and starred Bruce Greenwood as an angel who helps out a female farmer (Melissa Gilbert) whose husband has recently died. Duff ended up winning a Young Artist Award for “Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot (Supporting Young Actress)”.

Duff’s first serious shot at fame came when she was cast as one of the children in the pilot episode of the NBC sitcom Daddio (2000). Actor Michael Chiklis, co-star of Daddio, “After working with her the first day, I remember saying to my wife, ‘This young girl is going to be a movie star’. She was completely at ease with herself and comfortable in her own skin”.[2] Before the show had aired, Duff was dropped from its cast lineup and became reluctant to continue her acting career. Her manager and mother spurred her on, and she successfully auditioned for the family comedy show Lizzie McGuire a week later.

Lizzie McGuire, which first aired on the Disney Channel in January 2001, was a ratings hit, drawing in 2.3 million viewers per episode,[2] and became the career breakthrough Duff had been waiting for. Her participation in the show led to her becoming highly popular among children between the ages of seven and fourteen, with critic Richard Huff of the New York Daily News calling her “a 2002 version of Annette Funicello”.[2] After Duff fulfilled her entire sixty-five episode contract, as well as participated in a film spin-off entitled The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003), Disney toyed with the idea of continuing the franchise in further films and a prime-time television series to be broadcast on ABC, but Duff refused the proposal.

Duff’s second role in a theatrical motion picture was in Human Nature (2002), an independent film first shown at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals. Written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry, the film follows a female naturalist, played by Patricia Arquette. Duff played the younger version of Arquette’s character.

Duff subsequently starred in the Disney Channel television film Cadet Kelly (2002), opposite Christy Carlson Romano and Gary Cole, which became the network’s most watched program in its nineteen-year history.[2] Her first major role in a feature film was in Agent Cody Banks with Frankie Muniz in 2003. The film was successful enough to spawn a sequel, in which Duff did not participate. After the commercially successful The Lizzie McGuire Movie was released in May 2003, Duff played one of the twelve children of Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt in the family film Cheaper by the Dozen, which remains her highest grossing film. She reprised her role in the sequel, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), which failed to repeat the financial success of the original film and was panned by critics.

In 2004, Duff starred in the romantic comedy A Cinderella Story, a twenty-first century update of Charles Perrault’s fairy tale Cinderella. The film became a moderate box office hit, and some critics were impressed by Duff’s performance, as well as her chemistry with co-star Chad Michael Murray. The movie earned a total of $66,068,046 worldwide[3] and was a commercial success. Later that year, she starred in the film Raise Your Voice. While some critics praised Duff for appearing in a more dramatic role than she had previously been seen in, the film was heavily panned, with the Las Vegas Weekly writing: “Effortlessly combining Duff’s bad acting and bad singing with bad writing and bad direction, Raise Your Voice is an insulting waste of time that begs to be silenced”. Reviews were, by and large, negative to Duff’s vocals (several critics have pointed out what appears to be her digitally enhanced voice [4][5][6][7]) and indifferent towards her acting performance. Duff received a Razzie Award nomination for “Worst Actress” (in addition to her work in A Cinderella Story). The film also received a muted reception at the box office, where it became Duff’s least commercially successful film to date.

In Duff’s next film, The Perfect Man (2005), she played the eldest daughter of a divorced woman (Heather Locklear) who moves to New York City as she desperately searches for a man to settle down with. Reviews were uniformly negative, and the film was a box office failure. That year, Duff was again nominated for a Razzie Award, for both The Perfect Man and Cheaper by the Dozen 2.

Her next film is the satirical comedy Material Girls. The Martha Coolidge-directed film, co-produced by Madonna’s independent film production company Maverick Entertainment, stars Duff and her real-life sister Haylie Duff as wealthy siblings who must fight to reclaim their fortune following a scandal.[8] It will be released in the U.S. in August 2006. The Duff sisters are also due to lend their vocal talents to the computer animated comedy Foodfight!, to be distributed by Lions Gate Films in 2007. The film’s director, Larry Kasanoff, said that he is “absolutely thrilled to have the Duff sisters as part of the cast”.[9]

Music career

After seeing her sister perform in a band, Duff decided that she wanted to become a singer as well.[citation needed] She recorded a cover of Brooke McClymont’s “I Can’t Wait” for the original television soundtrack for Lizzie McGuire in August 2002, and “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” for the first Disneymania compilation album released the following month. Her first album was Santa Claus Lane (2002), a collection of Christmas songs which included duets with Lil’ Romeo, Christina Milian, and her sister Haylie. It peaked well outside of the top 100 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, and eventually received a gold certification. The album’s title track was included on the soundtrack to The Santa Clause 2. Duff sang several tracks for the soundtrack to The Lizzie McGuire Movie, including “Why Not”. Released as a single, “Why Not” became a modest top twenty hit in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

Duff’s first studio album, Metamorphosis (2003), included contributions by songwriter-producers such as The Matrix and reached number one on the U.S. and Canadian charts. It became one of the biggest selling albums of the year in the U.S. and has since gone to sell over 3.7 million copies.[10] The lead single, “So Yesterday”, was a top ten hit in several countries, while “Come Clean” became Duff’s first top forty U.S. hit and reached the top twenty elsewhere. The final single, “Little Voice”, was not released in the U.S. and was a minor hit in Canada and Australia. On December 31, 2003, Duff was supposedly was caught lip syncing a performance at MTV’s New Year’s Bash (”Clean Clean” was sung). However, no news fully surfaced except for a video on YouTube which some suspect to be slightly tampered with to make it appear that the track is skipping.[11] She has said in an interview that she and her band are all live,[12]

The second Disneymania disc was released in January 2004, and contained a duet with her sister, “The Siamese Cat Song”. Another song, “Circle of Life”, featured Duff and other Disney Channel Stars. Duff and her sister recorded a cover of The Go-Gos’ “Our Lips Are Sealed” for the soundtrack to A Cinderella Story.[13]

Duff has stated that her 2nd album, the self-titled Hilary Duff, had an edgier, rock feel to it. It was released on her seventeenth birthday (in September 2004) and debuted at number two in the U.S. and number one in Canada. The album has sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. to date,[10] but the songs “Fly” and “Someone’  ;s Watching over Me” failed to achieve substantial success apart from reaching the Australian top forty.

Duff’s 3rd album, Most Wanted (2005), consisted of a selection of her favorite tracks from her previous two albums, alongside new songs inspired by rock musicians such as The Killers and Muse. Duff had more creative control over the album compared to her previous releases, co-writing and co-producing all of the new material with boyfriend Joel Madden. The lead single, “Wake Up”, became Duff’s highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 and her highest peaking single in the U.S. The second single, “Beat of My Heart”, was far less successful. The album itself debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became her third number one debut in Canada. By March 2006, it had sold 1.3 million copies in the U.S.[14]

Duff has recorded three new songs for the soundtrack of her upcoming film, Material Girls, including a cover version of Madonna’s “Material Girl” with her sister Haylie. The track was produced by Dead Executives (Hilary’s boyfriend Joel and his brother Benji) who also produced 3 tracks on Most Wanted. It was originally believed to be produced by Timbaland, but in the beginning of the track, Joel screams “dead execs!”[5] The song leaked to forums on July 21, 2006. The film’s soundtrack will be released in August.

Haylie Duff spoke to Mtv.com and has confirmed that the ‘Material Girl’ track will not be released. According to Haylie Duff there is no time to shoot a video, however the track will appear in the opening of the movie and on a CD released in August by Hollywood records titled ‘Girl Next.’ The track ‘Material Girl’ was rumoured for a long time to be released as a single and would be feautured on Hilary Duff’s fourth album, this will no longer happen. Hilary Duff’s new album will be released in November this year. The first single off the album will be called “Happy” which is also on the Material Girls soundtrack.

Personal life

Duff began dating singer Aaron Carter in 2000. The relationship lasted a month and a half, after which Carter left Duff for actress Lindsay Lohan, before reuniting with Duff. Carter further claims he cheated on Duff with her best friend, and has said that Duff “got her heart broken” and that he is “sorry” for his actions.[15] Duff and Lindsay Lohan were later reported to have been involved in a “feud” with each other, over their relationship with make-up.[16] As of 2006, the two have reportedly still not reconciled, and Duff has stated “Sometimes I feel like I really hate her, which is pretty extreme for me.”[17]

“Stuff by Duff” backpack in Kids Choice Awards 2006

Duff has not broken up with Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden.[18] The two never announced their relationship, after a long period of tabloid speculation.[19] In June of 2006, Duff announced that she is still a virgin, that her “virginity is definitely something I like about myself. It doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about sex, because everyone I know has had it and you want to fit in”.[20]

Duff is involved with several charities, is an animal rights enthusiast, a member of “Kids with a Cause”,[21] and has donated US$250,000 to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.[22] She launched a clothing line, “Stuff by Duff”, on March 12, 2004, with clothes distributed through Target in the United States, Kmart in Australia and Zellers in Canada. Playmates Toys also released a celebrity doll of her that year. [23]

In August 2005, Duff said she received veneers because she chipped off one of her front teeth on a microphone during a concert.[24] In late 2005, Duff took a month off from work as a belated eighteenth birthday present. She said that she wanted to take a short break after releasing Most Wanted and writing three new songs for it, shooting three films, and embarking on her U.S. “Still Most Wanted Tour”. By 2005, Duff also appeared to have lost weight, leading the media to speculate that she had developed an eating disorder, although Duff has denied this claim.[25] Duff was interviewed on the Australian current affair show Today Tonight and stated that she ‘gained’ weight by living a more healthy lifestyle.

Filmography

Films

Duff in The Perfect Man, 2005Year Film Role O ther
1999 Casper Meets Wendy Wendy direct-t o-video
The Soul Collector Ellie made -for-television
2002 Human Nature Young Lila Jute
Cadet Kelly Kelly Collins made-for-tel evision
2003 Agent Cody Banks Natalie Connors
The Lizzie McGuire Movie Lizzie McGuire/Isabella Parigi
Cheaper by the Dozen Lorraine Baker
2004 A Cinderella Story Samantha Montgomery
Raise Your Voice Terri Fletcher
In Search of Santa Crystal direct -to-video
2005 The Perfect Man Hollie Hamilton
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 Lorraine Baker
2006 Material Girls Tanzie Marchetta U.S. release date: August 18, 2006
2007 Foodfight! Suns hine Goodness U.S. release date: April 2007

Other roles

Duff has made several guest appearances in television shows, her first as a sick child in the medical drama Chicago Hope in March 2000. In a 2003 episode of George Lopez, she had a role as a makeup salesperson, and would later appear in the show in 2005 as a feminist poet friend of Carmen (Masiela Lusha), a character whose poetry had roots in the work of Simone de Beauvoir, Toril Moi, and Ranjit Hakim. She acted opposite her sister Haylie as the ’60s pop group The Shangri-Las in American Dreams in 2003, and played a classmate and idolizer of the title character of Joan of Arcadia in a 2005 episode. During her “Most Wanted” tour, she perfomed in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she made a brief appearance on the soap opera Rebelde.

Discography
Main article: Hilary Duff discography

AlbumsAlbum information
Metamorphosis Released: August 26, 2003 (U.S.) U.S. sales: 3.7 million copies (as of May 2005) Chart positions: #1 U.S. (1) RIAA certification: 3x platinum (January 8, 2004) Singles: “So Yesterday” (2003)   “Come Clean” (2004)

Hilary Duff Released: September 28, 2004 (U.S.) U.S. sales: 1.5 million copies (as of May 2005)[10] Chart positions: #2 U.S. RIAA certification: Platinum (March 29, 2005) Singles: “Fly” (2004)

Most Wanted Released: August 16, 2005 (U.S.)
U.S. sales: 1.3 million copies (as of March 2005)[14] Chart positions: #1 (debut) U.S. (2 weeks)
RIAA certification: Platinum (September 21, 2005) Singles: “Wake Up” (2005) “Beat of My Heart” (2005)

SoundtracksYear Song Film
2002 “I Can’t Wait” Lizzie McGuire “Santa Claus Lane” The Santa Clause 2
2003 “Why Not” The Lizzie McGuire Movie, “What Dreams Are Made Of” (Ballad version) featuring Yani Gellman “What Dreams Are Made Of” “Why Not” (McMix)
2004 “Our Lips Are Sealed” (with Haylie Duff) A Cinderella Story “Anywhere but Here” “Girl Can Rock” “Now You Know” “Crash World”
2006 “Material Girl” (with Haylie Duff) Material Girls “Smile” “Happy”