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For young people coming of age in the early 2000s, Hilary Duff is a true pop culture icon. She rose to prominence on the Disney Channel, playing the title character in the beloved series Lizzie McGuire. And she also began a music career.

These days, Duff is still a hardworking actor. Her new series, How I Met Your Father, has earned critical acclaim. While she has always been popular, she hasn’t always received support. In a recent interview with Josh Peck, Duff admitted that Disney didn’t fully support her in her ambitions of becoming a singer.

Hilary Duff grew up in the spotlight as a Disney Channel star

hilary duff disney singing
Hilary Duff performs live on “Good Morning America,” 6/16/15, airing on the Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Television Network. | Fred Lee/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Born in 1987, Duff’s ascent to fame began at quite a young age. After appearing in a number of theater productions, she began auditioning for television commercials and roles in TV shows. It didn’t take long for the talented young girl to find her footing. According to IMDb, after a string of smaller, supporting roles, Duff landed the lead in the brand-new Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire.

The series debuted in 2001, establishing Duff as a star to be watched. Fans loved the character of Lizzie, and Duff quickly became a teen idol of the early 2000s. She appeared in Lizzie McGuire until the series went off the air in 2004, going on to reprise the role in a feature-length film. During this time, Duff also appeared in other projects, including the movies Cadet Kelly and A Cinderella Story.

What did Hilary Duff say about how Disney wasn’t ‘on board’ with her singing career?

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Even as Duff was thriving as an actor, she was itching to pursue her other love — music. However, the Disney Channel wasn’t incredibly supportive of her ambitions. In a recent interview with Josh Peck, part of which has been shared on TikTok, Duff admitted that she had a hard time convincing the network to let her go after her dream.

“I, at the time, wanted to start singing, and [Disney was] not super on board. They didn’t want to sign me right away at Hollywood Records, and obviously, that was the first place that we decided to go,” Duff revealed.

She went on to give credit to the father-son producing team of Rob and Bob Cavallo at Hollywood Records. “They jumped on board, and then I started making a record,” Duff said. “So, it wasn’t like they were like, ‘Let’s just juice this for what we can.’ It was my idea. I wanted to sing. I really didn’t want to be Lizzie McGuire anymore.”

Hilary Duff has enjoyed a successful career in music

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Duff went on to enjoy a very successful career as a singer, proving that she’s much more than just the character of Lizzie McGuire. Over the years, she has released five studio albums, beginning with Santa Claus Lane in 2002, which featured Duff singing a variety of Christmas cover songs, to her most recent release, the 2015 album Breathe In. Breathe Out. She has also toured the United States in support of her albums, selling out large venues and performing for her fans.

These days, Duff is still actively involved with music as well as acting. Notably, she loves collaborating with her husband, Matthew Koma, who is a well-known singer/songwriter.

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