The actress and singer was involved with many popular acting and music projects during the early 2000s
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NEED TO KNOW
- Hilary Duff reacts to being a part of so many people’s childhoods in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE
- “I wear a badge of honor,” the actress and singer says
- Duff was involved with many popular acting and music projects during the early 2000s
Helping shape the childhoods of an entire generation is no easy task, but Hilary Duff wears it as a “badge of honor.”
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actress and singer, 38, opens up about what it means to her to have been a part of the formative years for so many through her acting roles and music career.
“I hear that a lot from people, [that I was an important part of their childhood], and I wear a badge of honor,” Duff says.
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Duff’s first major acting role came through 1998’s Casper Meets Wendy. In 2001, she landed the titular role in the Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire, which made her a household name.
Further notable projects Duff was involved with included Cadet Kelly, Agent Cody Banks and A Cinderella Story, plus Cheaper by the Dozen and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, as well as The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
During the same time period, Duff had a hit music career, releasing a Christmas album, Santa Claus Lane, in 2002, followed by 2003’s Metamorphosis, 2004’s Hilary Duff and 2007’s Dignity.
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Recently, Duff has embraced the nostalgia attached to her early acting and music career. She embarked on her Small Rooms, Big Nerves music outing in January, marking her first time touring in more than a decade, and she has since kicked off her The Lucky Me tour.
During both music outings, Duff has sung some of her biggest hits, including “Wake Up,” “So Yesterday,” “With Love,” “Why Not” and “Come Clean.”
And, for the first time ever, she has also performed “What Dreams Are Made of” — her fan-favorite classic from The Lizzie McGuire Movie — as part of her set list.
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“What’s been so fun about the live shows is realizing how much the old songs mean to people,” Duff, who has partnered with the fitness app Ladder, tells PEOPLE. “A lot of those songs just live rent-free in my head, so it’ll be nice for the other music to catch up and join the mix.”
Highlighting how fans have “supported this new album in such a major way,” the mother of four adds. “It’s this very cool way to connect in our lives now — everyone’s grown up, and we feel like we have a lot of the same life experiences. It’s like more real-world s—, and it’s fun to mix those two together.”
Tickets to see Duff’s The Lucky Me Tour can be purchased here.
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