Hilary Duff Says She Was 'Fucking Done' with Lizzie McGuire Back in 2003

Hilary Duff recently admitted she was completely over playing her iconic Disney Channel character by the time "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" wrapped in 2003. In an interview with Paper magazine, per Variety, Duff revealed the intense workload left her exhausted and wanting to separate herself from the role.

"I was pretty done with Lizzie at that time," Duff said. She explained that after filming 30 episodes one year and 35 the next, she felt overwhelmed by her sudden fame. "Everyone called me Lizzie," she recalled. Her feelings peaked while filming the movie in Italy. "I think I was just like, 'I'm fucking done with you.' I want people to see me. This isn't fun anymore."

The 2003 film featured the song "What Dreams Are Made Of," which Duff says she never wanted to sing again. "I was trying to create Hilary Duff separate from Lizzie," she said. "I was like, 'I'm never singing that song.' And I didn't even own it. It wasn't my song to sing."

Her perspective has since changed. She re-recorded the track for her 2026 "(Mine)" EP and performed it live for the first time on her "Small Rooms, Big Nerves" tour. "So now when I sing it, it feels so much better," Duff said. "I get to join the celebration of what it meant to people, and what it means to me now."

Looking back, Duff told Paper she would "love a redo" on that era of her life. "All of it was just so crazy," she said. "I'm so glad it resonated with people this many years later... But when I perform it now, I'm like, 'Oh, I'm in this.' Back then, I just feel like I wasn't in my body yet."