It’s undeniable - if you had never seen Hilary Duff before in your life her beautiful face would instantly sweep you up. With pearlescent eyes that never quite seem the same colour in any two pictures, and a face that screams both girl next door and sexpot, it is obvious to see why she has captivated the music and silver screen industries.
At a mere eighteen years of age Hilary has already been in the spotlight for eight years. Her career began, as so many do in Tinsel Town, with a small un-credited part in the Emmy nominated TV movie, “True Women”. It makes sense that Hilary’s first debut on film would be along side such mega stars as Angelina Jolie and Michael York, as a few short years later she would be as recognizable (at least amongst the younger generation) as these Hollywood veterans.
Two more roles forward (one as Wendy in the 1998 movie “Casper meets Wendy”, and the other another TV movie role) and she had landed her own television series, “Lizzie McGuire” which would go on to run for three years between 2001-2004. It was a comical take on the daily life of a young teenage girl, with all the ups and downs that come along with having one foot in the sandbox and the other in high heels. Though the character Duff portrayed was met with criticism at times for being something of a spoilt snob, Hilary carried the role well and garnered something of a cult following, particularly amongst the 7 to 14 years female crowd.
As if out of thin air Hilary sprang up as a singer during her Lizzie McGuire years and by 2003 the young blond bombshell could be seen everywhere. Her sweet, but not rot your teeth sugary voice belting out hit tunes like “So yesterday”. Catchy pop rock numbers that racked in the pre-teen fans at a rate that had not been seen since the early days of Britney. It was with “Metamorphosis”, her first solo album (as opposed to previous songs on soundtracks), that Duff hoped to become more than just Lizzie McGuire, and to the astonishment of some of her critics she clearly did.
At the same time Hilary jumped from big screen to TV screen with a plethora of roles, talk show and award show appearances. In 2004 she ranked number seventy two on Forbes “Celebrity 100” list. This is quite an impressive feat for someone who had barely become old enough to drive. 2004 was a hectic year for the young starlet who featured in movies like, “A Cinderella Story”, and “Raise Your Voice”, as well as releasing her second album. Going the way of so many celebrities these days Hilary became officially branded with her youngster aimed line of fun, colourful and hip clothing, accessories and make-up, “Stuff by Hilary Duff”, flying off the shelves at Target in the US and Zellers in Canada.
Irrefutably one of the most internet searched – not to mention photographed – stars of any age or genre at the moment, Hilary has become a household name that doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon, as her 2005 role in the movie “The Perfect Man” along side Heather Locklear clearly shows.
So what draws so many fans to this young actress? Her charm and staying power both seem to exist somewhere in her outgoing, bubbly personality and effervescent, happy-go-lucky attitude. Though there is no shortage of pictures with Duff in tight tops and short skirts there is a vague, yet noticeable wholesomeness to this young lady that parents seem to pick up on, as do her legions of adoring fans. It’s her witty, sweet and gentle yet spunky outlook that has propelled her from the Disney channel to a platinum album right to worldwide tours. As well as a good dose of marketing, a gorgeous face and all the hopes and dreams that come along with being a teen sensation these days.
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About The Author
Jessica Cander is a professional freelance writer with an incredible passion for the English language. When gathering research material she likes to log on to Answers.com, the ultimate online reference site. For more about Webster's go to http://www.answers.com/topic/webster-s-dictionary.
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This article was posted on October 08, 2005
