Why Josh Peck Said He and ‘How I Met Your Father’ Co-Star Hilary Duff Are ‘Different Kinds of Child Stars’

Both in their mid-thirties, Hilary Duff and Josh Peck are learning how to balance their acting careers with parenthood. However, just two decades ago, the pair were both trying to navigate their complex lives as young actors. While their lives share many parallels, Peck has made it clear that he and Duff are very different kinds of child stars for one specific reason.

Josh Peck and Hilary Duff had different experiences as child stars 

In the early 2000s, Josh Peck and Hilary Duff were teens thrust into stardom. While the two were both child actors in the late 1990s, they both were able to rise to prominence after landing leading roles on hit kid’s sitcoms. For Peck, his big break came after landing a starring role on the Nickelodeon teen sitcom Drake & Josh. Peck portrayed the lovable Josh Nichols, from 2004 to 2007, alongside his on-screen step-brother Drake Parker, played by Drake Bell. 

For Duff, her stardom came after landing the lead role of Lizzie on the Disney series Lizzie McGuire. The role thrust her into fame as she was quickly labeled as a teen idol. In 2002, Duff also starred as Kelly on the Disney Channel Original Movie Cadet Kelly. The young actor’s success on Disney helped her to land prominent roles in numerous mainstream films in the early 2000s, including Agent Cody Banks (2003), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), and A Cinderella Story (2004). 

Hilary Duff shares her acting experience on Josh Peck’s podcast

Decades have passed since the premieres of both Lizzie McGuire and Drake & Josh. However, both Peck and Duff have continued their careers in the entertainment industry. Peck recently invited Duff onto his podcast, Good Guys, which he co-hosts with his friend, Ben Soffer. On the podcast episode, Peck and Duff discussed myriad topics, including their early years as child stars. 

As seen in this TikTok clip, the pair discussed one way they’re different. Duff states, “I love an alcoholic beverage, sorry Josh.” To which Peck responds, “I don’t, but that’s okay. I would love it, too, if I could. But I have one or two, and then it leads me to my other favorite drink, Percocet. To which Duff responds, “That’s not good, Josh.”

Peck then poses the question, “Have you not had a margarita and a Vicodin…?” To which Duff immediately responds, “Actually, never. I can say that, never.” Peck then jokingly responds, “Wow. You’re not the child star I thought you were. We’re different kinds of child stars.” The full podcast episode can be listened to on YouTube. 

Josh Peck and Hilary Duff both star in ‘How I Met Your Father’ 

Having worked for different networks as kids, Peck and Duff’s acting careers have finally crossed paths. In 2022, Duff landed the leading role of Sophie on the Hulu sitcom How I Met Your Father, which is a spinoff of the CBS series How I Met Your Mother, which aired from 2005 to 2014. Throughout most of the first season of the show, Sophie’s boyfriend was Drew, played by Peck. 

While Sophie and Drew abruptly broke up during season one of How I Met Your Father, Peck still has a recurring role on the show. The second season of How I Met Your Father concluded on March 14, 2023.