Hilary Duff Reveals Why She Wanted to Leave Lizzie McGuire Behind

Hilary Duff is opening up about the challenges of growing up in the spotlight and why she once wanted to distance herself from Lizzie McGuire, the Disney Channel character that launched her career. In a recent interview, the singer and actress recalled feeling exhausted after filming 65 episodes of the popular series over two years, followed by the 2003 movie. As her popularity grew, Duff struggled with being recognized as Lizzie rather than herself. She explained that she wanted audiences to see her as an individual and take her seriously beyond her Disney role. Those feelings also affected her relationship with What Dreams Are Made Of, the memorable song from The Lizzie McGuire Movie. At the time, Duff had no interest in performing it again. More than two decades later, her perspective has changed. Duff re-recorded the song for her 2026 (Mine) EP and brought it back to the stage during her Small Rooms, Big Nerves Tour. She now appreciates the song s connection with fans and feels mor