Hilary Duff has the distinction of being the first Disney Channel superstar, paving the way for Raven-Symoné, Miley Cyrus, and the entire cast of “High School Musical”. In her teen sitcom, “Lizzie McGuire,” Duff played an average teenage girl with a very opinionated, fourth-wall-breaking, animated alter ego…

Famous for: Acting, Singing, Celebrity Feuds

Birthdate: Sept. 28, 1987

Hilary Duff has the distinction of being the first Disney Channel superstar, paving the way for Raven-Symoné, Miley Cyrus, and the entire cast of “High School Musical”. In her teen sitcom, “Lizzie McGuire,” Duff played an average teenage girl with a very opinionated, fourth-wall-breaking, animated alter ego. Although it only ran for two seasons, “Lizzie McGuire” was such a hit with tweens that it spawned a theatrical film (“The Lizzie McGuire Movie”), a series of books (in which Lizzie was a Nancy Drew-type teen detective), several Game Boy video games, dolls, and even McDonald’s Happy Meal toys.

Post-Lizzie, Duff continued to appear in feature films, though not always to the best critical reception. Her starring role in 2004′s “A Cinderella Story” earned her a Razzie award nomination for Worst Actress. She was re-nominated the following year for her role in “Cheaper By the Dozen 2.” And the next year, too, for “Material Girls.”

Duff has fared much better in the music industry. Fans have eaten up all three of her albums, plus the remix compilation, the “best of” anthology, and the Christmas CD “Santa Claus Lane.” The bouncy hit single, “So Yesterday,” from her self-titled second disc, was impossible not to hear in 2004. On her most recent album, 2007′s Dignity, Duff shifted her musical style from straight-up pop to more of an R&B/dance/pop hybrid.

Duff has also proven herself quite the entrepreneur. She first launched her own clothing line called Stuff by Hilary Duff, then joined in a partnership with DKNY Jeans to release the Femme for DKNY line. That was in addition to her fragrance, “With Love… Hilary Duff.” And she has associated herself with several charities and causes, including those benefiting animal right, gay rights, and relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Perhaps sadly, Duff is also still known for a very public five-year feud with fellow Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan. The squabble reportedly began when Backstreet Boy Nick Carter dated one and then the other and then the first again. The feud popped up in the media off and on for ages, until the two publicly made up in 2007.

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