Hilary Duff calls being a part of fans' childhoods a 'badge of honor'

Hilary Duff says being a cherished part of fans' childhoods is a 'badge of honor.' The 'Lizzie McGuire' star reflected on her career's impact, her return to live music, and reconnecting with fans who have grown up alongside her.

Actor and singer Hilary Duff says being a cherished part of so many people's childhoods is something she carries with immense pride, describing it as a "badge of honor." In an interview with People magazine, the 38-year-old reflected on the lasting impact of her acting and music career, which helped define the childhoods of a generation of fans. "I hear that a lot from people, [that I was an important part of their childhood], and I wear a badge of honor," Duff said.

A Look Back at a Defining Career

Duff first gained recognition with her role in Casper Meets Wendy (1998), before becoming a household name in 2001 after landing the title role in Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire. The series established her as one of the most recognisable young stars of the early 2000s. She went on to star in several popular films, including Cadet Kelly, Agent Cody Banks, A Cinderella Story, Cheaper by the Dozen, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, and The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

Alongside her acting success, Duff built a successful music career with the release of Santa Claus Lane in 2002, followed by Metamorphosis (2003), Hilary Duff (2004), and Dignity (2007).

Embracing Nostalgia

In recent months, Duff has embraced the nostalgia surrounding her early career. She returned to live performances with her Small Rooms, Big Nerves music outing in January, her first tour in more than a decade, and has since launched The Lucky Me tour. Her recent setlists feature some of her biggest hits, including 'Wake Up,' 'So Yesterday,' 'With Love,' 'Why Not,' and 'Come Clean.' For the first time, she has also been performing 'What Dreams Are Made of,' the fan-favourite song from The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

"What's been so fun about the live shows is realizing how much the old songs mean to people," Duff said, adding, "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."

A Strengthened Bond with Fans

Duff also spoke about reconnecting with longtime fans while promoting her newer music, saying the shared experiences of growing older have strengthened that bond. Highlighting how fans have "supported this new album in such a major way," the mother of four said, added, "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."

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