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Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, businesswoman, and author. Duff began her acting career at a young age, and was soon labeled a teen idol after playing the title character in the comedy series (2001–2004) and the film based on the series, (2003). Thereafter, she appeared in numerous mainstream films such as (2002), (2003), (2003), (2004), and (2005). In 2026, named her one of .
Hilary Erhard Duff was born on September 28, 1987 in . Her parents are Robert Erhard Duff, a partner in a chain of , and Susan Colleen Duff (), a turned film and music producer. She has an older sister named . She is a descendant of officer and of . She grew up between Houston and , where her father operated convenience stores. Encouraged by their mother, Duff, alongside her sister, enrolled in acting, singing, and ballet classes. The siblings earned roles in local theater productions, and later participated in a touring production of in San Antonio.
Increasingly interested in the pursuit of show business, the Duff sisters and their mother moved to California in 1993, while their father stayed in Houston to take care of his business. The sisters auditioned for several years and were cast in many . Due to her acting career, Hilary was home-schooled from the age of eight. The pair also modeled for various clothing brands. Hilary said, “My sister and I really showed an interest in [performing] and dedication, and [our mother] was like, ‘How can I tell my kids no?’ It’s the same as kids that are going into sports. Parents support them and push them.”
Duff co-starred with her sister Haylie in the satirical comedy (2006). The film earned both sisters a shared Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress, becoming Duff’s third consecutive nomination in three years. The sisters were also nominated for . Hilary and Haylie collaborated on a cover of ‘s single “” for the film’s soundtrack. Duff released her first perfume, “”, in September 2006. The line was distributed by the company. Initially only sold in department stores, the fragrance became available in Europe, Japan, and Canada and was one of the three best-selling fragrances launched in department stores in 2006.
Duff continued to appear in film roles, starring in the television film (2010), where she also served as an executive producer. The film saw Duff as a fashion magazine columnist who wrote about her dating struggles in the city. The premiere received 2.4 million viewers, attracting a strong female audience that drove the network to an all-time high in viewers. Following this appearance, she made another in an episode of the sitcom . She then co-starred as Raven Halfacre, the teenage daughter of a alcoholic, in the drama Her performance was generally praised, with writing that the “biggest surprise performance [in the film] probably belongs to Hilary Duff.” In 2010, Duff set up a book-writing deal with . She collaborated with on a young adult novel titled which was published in October 2010 and became a best-seller.
