Hilary Erhard Duff was born on September 28, 1987, in Houston, Texas. By the age of 6, she and older sister Haylie Duff were touring with the Cechetti Ballet, but both girls already knew back then that they wanted to have careers as actresses and singers. Hilary Duff made her screen debut in the 1997 mini-series True Women, which also featured Haylie. She landed her first lead role in 1998 as Wendy in Casper Meets Wendy, while the following year she won the Young Artist Award for her supporting role in the TV movie The Soul Collector.

In 2001, Hilary Duff was cast in the starring role in Lizzie McGuire on the Disney Channel. The show became a huge hit with the teen and preteen audience, and helped propel her 2003 debut pop album, Metamorphosis, to the top of the Billboard charts (her first disc release, 2002's Santa Claus Lane, was a collection of Christmas tunes). Hilary Duff starred in the Disney telefilm, Cadet Kelly in 2002, and at the age of 15, she signed her first million-dollar movie deal for The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003). That same year she also costarred in Agent Cody Banks and Cheaper by the Dozen.

Lizzie McGuire completed its run in 2004, which gave Hilary Duff more time to concentrate on other movie roles as well as her music. She earned a $2.2 million paycheck for her starring role in A Cinderella Story, and also starred in the coming-of-age drama Raise Your Voice. Her self-titled sophomore album was released that September, and although it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, it sold considerably less than its predecessor. She also served as the international spokesperson for Kids With A Cause in 2004.

Hilary Duff reprised her role as Lorraine Baker for Cheaper By The Dozen 2 (2005) the same year she appeared in The Perfect Man with Heather Locklear. Most Wanted, a compilation of hits and three new tracks, was released in August 2005, and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart. In 2006, she and Haylie costarred in the feature Material Girls, which also gave the younger Duff her first credit as a film producer.

Released in April 2007, Hilary Duff's third album of all-new material, Dignity, debuted at No. 3 in the U.S. The recordings showcased a new musical direction for her, as electro dance-oriented backing tracks replaced the teeny-pop style she'd come to be known for. The collection spawned a couple of hits that made the dance/club charts, and she embarked on a North American tour during the summer of 2007.


Sexiness

Hilary Duff's 2003 album was entitled Metamorphosis, but she should have saved that name for her 2007 release, Dignity. Determined to put her squeaky-clean mall princess image behind her, she transformed her looks and musical style as she approached her 20th birthday. While the electronic dance music might not make you a convert, her more mature-looking image was a definite improvement. Gone were the short blond locks and bubble-gummy fashion sense, replaced by a longer mane and a sexier wardrobe. Hilary Duff promoted Dignity and her personal metamorphosis by appearing on the covers of US Weekly and Shape magazines wearing a bikini in the summer of 2007.

And as if to make sure there was no confusion over which market she was wooing, Maxim put her on the cover of its August edition. She ranked at No. 23 on that publication's 2007 Hot 100 listing, and made her third appearance on our Top 99 in 2008 after moving up a couple of notches from No. 86 to No. 84.

Success

Chances are you know her name, even if you’ve never seen her movies or heard her music. Hilary Duff has scored four multiplatinum discs, starred in a few box office hits and had a major merchandising enterprise spring out of her star-making Lizzie McGuire TV series.

By the age of 16, she was commanding $2 million for film appearances. In 2007, she made Forbes' Power 100 list, and also ranked No. 7 on their Top-Earning Young Superstars roster.

She has also helped raise a lot of money and given much of her time to a number of worthy causes over the years, including Kids With a Cause and celebrity auctions for Breast Cancer Research. In 2008, Hilary Duff, who in addition to appearing on the big screen in War, Inc., Safety Glass and Greta, also provided the voice of Sunshine Goodness in the animated feature Foodfight!