Years after ending her role as Lizzie McGuire, Hilary Duff is finding peace with her famous character. She now enjoys celebrating her past on stage, which was once a burden for her.
Duff reflected on the impact that her role in “Lizzie McGuire” had on her life. The Disney series aired for two seasons from 2001 to 2004 and led to the 2003 film “The Lizzie McGuire Movie.” By the time the movie was released, Duff admitted that she felt exhausted and ready to move on from the franchise. The film featured the popular song “What Dreams Are Made Of,” which she re-recorded for her 2026 EP titled “(Mine)” and performed during her “Small Rooms, Big Nerves” Tour earlier this year.
The actress shared that during the production of the movie, she felt overwhelmed and wanted to be recognized for who she was rather than just as Lizzie. She mentioned that she filmed a significant number of episodes and became widely recognized, which was stressful for her. Now, she feels a sense of enjoyment when singing that song and appreciates what it means to her and her fans. Duff acknowledged that while she was grateful for the experience, she was quite tired of it at the time.
She also noted that she wanted to establish her own identity apart from Lizzie. Duff expressed that during that period, she wasn’t interested in performing the song since she didn’t feel it was hers. Now, she believes it truly belongs to her.
Looking back, Duff mentioned that she would welcome the opportunity for a fresh start with that time in her life. She reflected on how intense everything was and expressed happiness that the show still resonates with people today. She feels more connected to her performances now than she did back then.
There was also an attempt to revive “Lizzie McGuire,” which was being developed for Disney Plus starting in 2019. However, the project faced challenges when Terri Minsky, the original series creator and showrunner for the reboot, was removed. Filming began in November 2019, but production paused in early January 2020 while Duff was on her honeymoon. Just before she returned, it was reported that Minsky had left the project.
Reports indicated that there was disagreement about the direction of the reboot. While Duff and Minsky wanted to create a more mature version of Lizzie, Disney preferred a series that maintained the family-friendly tone of the original. Initially, Disney seemed to support the adult-themed approach but changed its mind after the first two episodes were completed. In December 2020, Duff confirmed through Instagram that the revival had been canceled.
What do you think about Duff’s journey with Lizzie McGuire?
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Source: Amo Media