Hilary Duff reflects on being in Lizzie McGuire's shadow: “I definitely went through big frustrations of being like, ‘Why can I not get a shot at being someone else?’”

[Jordan Miller]

Hilary Duff is featured in the new issue of Cosmopolitan UK. 

In her interview, Duff opens up about being typecast in Hollywood because of her iconic role as Lizzie Mcguire.
 

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I wonder whether she is bothered, as a woman in her thirties, to still be so associated with a character who defined not only her own teenage years, but a whole generation’s.

“I’m at such a different place in my life now, being a mother and a wife – it doesn’t weigh on me any more,” she explains. “I don’t feel like people only see me that way, but [even] when they do, I feel appreciative of it because she was very impactful on so many people’s lives.”

But how does she really feel about the reboot? Did she have to come round to the idea? “They asked me for years and years: ‘Let’s do a reboot, let’s do a reboot,’ and I was like, ‘No, no, no.’

"Finally, last year, I was like, ‘I feel ready.’” What changed? “It just doesn’t annoy me any more when people refer to me as Lizzie McGuire or say that was my biggest role, because it paved the way for all the other roads I’ve been able to take.”

She hasn’t always seen it like that. And who can blame her? “I definitely went through big frustrations of being like, ‘Why can I not get a shot at being someone else?’” she explains.

“Not that I want to dog every casting director out there, but there’s a very small handful of people who are character actors and can be hired for roles that are truly different from one another. From age 21 to 25, before I became a mom, there was a lot of frustration."

"I would get to producer callback and they’d be like, ‘She’s so great and she gave us the best reading and blah blah blah, but she’s Hilary Duff...’”

 

She also opened up about feeling relieved when Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez were on the rise with their roles.

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I think people imagine that Disney is just this big studio where everyone hangs out, but it wasn’t like that,” she explains. “When Hannah Montana and Wizards Of Waverly Place came along, I was on tour and desperate not to be Lizzie McGuire any more.

"I was so happy that someone was taking that spot from me. It didn’t really feel right for me to be giving advice. Everyone’s on their own journey and the things they had to deal with were different. They came up when social media was starting to pop off.”

 

Thoughts, Exhale? 

 

 

Related:

[Roxxy]

It's actually a normal thing for any actor to not get hired for a new gig after a very successful show or movie because they slayed it, the character becomes attached to them and it can be a curse. It's just luck whether or not you'll be able to shake it off or not. Miley went through that as well for years until she had a total makeover for the Bangerz era. Hilary on the other hand never had like a major / drastic change except for that era where she had black hair. But she was still very much kid-friendly then so that didn't help one bit in shaking off the Lizzie McGuire image. 

She played it safe and never took that risk. 

[Brat]

We need One in a Million remixes 

[Midnight]

Maybe it was because she wasn't that great of an actress 

Jk, Hi @CrazyButItFeelsAllright @InTheZone4Life 

[monkeystar88]

I love how dignified she has always been. She opened the doors for a lot of these stars like Selena and Zendaya. Lizzy Mcguire will always be iconic. I don't think she has the acting chops to really take on bigger roles like Zendaya so that's probably why she never secured those roles. She a particular way of acting and should really pursue that maybe in a self produced movie or show. 

[Blackout2006]

But isnt that the movie that further her into her prime status?

[TSmidnighTS]

1 hour ago, Midnight said:

Maybe it was because she wasn't that great of an actress 

Jk, Hi @CrazyButItFeelsAllright @InTheZone4Life 

HILEGEND IS AN ICON AND A DEFINING ACTRESS OF AN ENTIRE GENERATION 

#HilaryHeavy

[Thelegendarybritney]

1 hour ago, Midnight said:

Maybe it was because she wasn't that great of an actress 

Jk, Hi @CrazyButItFeelsAllright @InTheZone4Life 

not you shading Hilary Icon Duff

A cinderella story defined the movie industry

[TSmidnighTS]

1 hour ago, Brat said:

We need One in a Million remixes 

Listened to this song again yesterday. She didn’t have to go THAT HARD on BIBO but she did it FOR US

[Thelegendarybritney]

1 minute ago, InTheZone4Life said:

Listened to this song again yesterday. She didn’t have to go THAT HARD on BIBO but she did it FOR US

I was the only person around me who acknowledged the existence of BIBO  I bought my copy from Walmart

[TSmidnighTS]

33 minutes ago, Thelegendarybritney said:

I was the only person around me who acknowledged the existence of BIBO  I bought my copy from Walmart

I ran around my job FREAKING OUT when she released it. I went to Target the day of release to buy it. I was obsessed. The nerve of people to pay it dust

[Thelegendarybritney]

Just now, InTheZone4Life said:

I ran around my job FREAKING OUT when she released it. I went to Target the day of release to buy it. I was obsessed. The nerve of people to pay it dust

i know right

also the fact we bullied her into giving us Spark music video without the tinder promo

[Slayer]

I just love her 

[Stefani]

I still call her Lizzie in my head sometimes.

 

[jordeezy river red]

I also get upset that the world still thinks I am a fast food worker since I worked the drive thru when I was 15  boo effing hoo, Duff.  

[myonlywish]

5 hours ago, Jordan Miller said:

"I would get to producer callback and they’d be like, ‘She’s so great and she gave us the best reading and blah blah blah, but she’s Hilary Duff...’”

That must hurt, knowing that you're typecast as a specific character. I did enjoy the film "Greta," where Duff plays a darker character - I just wish she continued to explore those acting roles... But all in all, I think Hilary is happy where she is: a husband that tattooed her name on his butt, and two beautiful children. Hope there are more opportunities in her career, she's still young!

[Midnight]

4 hours ago, InTheZone4Life said:

HILEGEND IS AN ICON AND A DEFINING ACTRESS OF AN ENTIRE GENERATION 

#HilaryHeavy

You have it mixed up, that's LiLo your thinking about 

[Midnight]

4 hours ago, Thelegendarybritney said:

not you shading Hilary Icon Duff

A cinderella story defined the movie industry

You guys have it all mixed up,it was Mean Girls actually 

[Towelney]

3 minutes ago, Midnight said:

You guys have it all mixed up,it was Mean Girls actually 

Tea  #LindsayHeavy

[Thelegendarybritney]

5 minutes ago, Midnight said:

You guys have it all mixed up,it was Mean Girls actually 

 

 

also i was listening to Bionic and i thought of you