Hilary Erhard Duff was born on September 28, 1987, in Houston, Texas, to Susan Duff (née Cobb),her mother, and Robert Erhard Duff, her father, who was a partner in a convenience store chain.
As a young child, Hilary traveled with her sister Haylie Duff to the Cechetti Ballet, but at the age of six, she made the decision to pursue her dream of acting instead.
Hilary's first starring role was as the young witch "Wendy" in the 1998 film Casper Meets Wendy.
Her breakthrough role came when she starred in the number one hit Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire in 2001.
She went on to star in several films, including The Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003, Agent Cody Banks in 2003, Cheaper by the Dozen in 2003, A Cinderella Story in 2004, Raise Your Voice in 2004, The Perfect Man in 2005, and Cheaper by the Dozen 2 in 2005.
In addition to her acting career, Hilary also had success in the music industry, with her singles "So Yesterday" and "Come Clean" both reaching the top 40 on the charts.
Her debut album, Metamorphosis, was released in 2003 and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, eventually rising to number one in the following weeks.
Hilary's second album, Hilary Duff, was released in 2004 and included the hit singles "Wake Up and Smile" and "Beat of My Heart".
Her third album, Dignity, was released in 2007 and included the hit singles "Stranger" and "With Love".
In 2015, Hilary released her fourth studio album, Breathe In. Breathe Out., which included the hit singles "All About You" and "Chasing the Sun".
Hilary has also starred in the television series Younger, playing the role of Kelsey Peters, since 2015.
