Hilary Duff: Actress and Singer, Star of Lizzie McGuire and Younger

Hilary Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, businesswoman and author. She is best known as the lead of the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004), as Kelsey Peters in Younger (2015–2021) and as Lorraine Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen (2003). In 2026 she released her sixth studio album, Luck… or Something, and Time named her to its Time 100 list.

Lizzie McGuire made Hilary Duff a teen idol while she was in her early teens. She then carried that fame into a string of hit family films and a parallel pop career. Her second album, Metamorphosis (2003), reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Quick facts about Hilary Duff

Full name	Hilary Erhard Duff
Born	September 28, 1987, Houston, Texas, U.S.
Age	39 (as of November 2026)
Occupation	Actress, singer-songwriter, producer, author, businesswoman
Years active	1998–present
Known for	Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), A Cinderella Story (2004), Younger (2015–2021)
Profiles	Wikipedia · IMDb

Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire in Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004)

Hilary Duff became a household name playing the title role in Lizzie McGuire, which aired on Disney Channel from 2001 to 2004. Before that, she had played the young witch Wendy in Casper Meets Wendy (1998). She also played Ellie in the TV film The Soul Collector (1999), which won her a Young Artist Award.

The series led to The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003). Around the same time, Hilary Duff starred in the Disney Channel film Cadet Kelly (2002) and the spy comedy Agent Cody Banks (2003). She also played Lorraine Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and returned for Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005). A Cinderella Story (2004), with Chad Michael Murray, Raise Your Voice (2004), The Perfect Man (2005) and Material Girls (2006) followed.

Her music career grew alongside her acting. It began with Santa Claus Lane (2002), followed by Metamorphosis (2003), Hilary Duff (2004) and Dignity (2007). Later she moved into independent films with more adult themes, including War, Inc. (2008), According to Greta (2009) and Bloodworth (2011).

Hilary Duff as Kelsey Peters in Younger (2015–2021)

Hilary Duff began her adult TV career playing Kelsey Peters, a young publishing editor, opposite Sutton Foster in TV Land’s Younger. The show ran for seven seasons from 2015 to 2021 and became the network’s longest-running original series. The role earned her award nominations. In 2015 she also released the album Breathe In. Breathe Out.

Hilary Duff as Sophie in How I Met Your Father (2022–2023)

Hilary Duff produced the Hulu sitcom How I Met Your Father and starred in it as Sophie Tompkins from 2022 to 2023. She was also a producer of The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019), in which she starred. In 2026 she returned to music with Luck… or Something, her sixth studio album and her first with Atlantic Records. As of November 2026, she has been announced as Miranda Miller, a pageant mom, in the upcoming Hulu series Pretty Ugly.

Hilary Duff filmography (selected)

Year	Title	Role	Type
2022–2023	How I Met Your Father	Sophie Tompkins	TV series
2019	The Haunting of Sharon Tate	Sharon Tate	Film
2015–2021	Younger	Kelsey Peters	TV series
2011	Bloodworth	—	Film
2009	According to Greta	—	Film
2008	War, Inc.	—	Film
2006	Material Girls	—	Film
2005	Cheaper by the Dozen 2	Lorraine Baker	Film
2005	The Perfect Man	Holly	Film
2004	A Cinderella Story	—	Film
2004	Raise Your Voice	—	Film
2003	Cheaper by the Dozen	Lorraine Baker	Film
2003	The Lizzie McGuire Movie	Lizzie McGuire	Film
2003	Agent Cody Banks	—	Film
2001–2004	Lizzie McGuire	Lizzie McGuire	TV series

Hilary Duff awards and recognition

• 2026 – Time 100. Time named Hilary Duff one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
• Young Artist Award – Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot (Supporting Young Actress). She won for playing Ellie in The Soul Collector (1999).
• 2004–2007 – Forbes Celebrity 100. She appeared on Forbes’ annual list for four years in a row.

FAQ

– How does Hilary Duff make money now?

Hilary Duff works as an actress, producer and recording artist. In 2026 she released the album Luck… or Something. She has also run fashion and fragrance lines and co-written the best-selling Elixir novel trilogy.

– How old was Hilary Duff in Lizzie McGuire?

Hilary Duff was 13 when Lizzie McGuire premiered in 2001 and 16 when it ended in 2004. She was born on September 28, 1987, so she is 39 (as of November 2026).

– Where was Hilary Duff born?

Hilary Duff was born in Houston, Texas, on September 28, 1987.

– What movie does Hilary Duff sing in?

Hilary Duff sings in The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003) and in Raise Your Voice (2004), in which she plays an aspiring singer.

Header photo: Greg2600 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0, resized