Hilary Duff recalls Jennifer Coolidge being 'mean' on A Cinderella Story set

Hilary Duff says Jennifer Coolidge was “mean” on the A Cinderella Story set to play her evil stepmother

Two decades after starring together in the teen rom-com A Cinderella Story, Hilary Duff is looking back at how Jennifer Coolidge brought her icy stepmother role to life, and how intimidating it felt at the time.

In a recent interview with Variety, Duff, who was just 15 during filming, said Coolidge’s on-set “meanness” was all part of the performance.

“It was a little scary because I was only 15 and she was just mean to me because she’s my evil stepmother,” Duff explained. “At the time, I had to remind myself, ‘You’re filming a movie, you’re filming a movie.’”

Duff praised Coolidge for her talent and boldness, noting that watching her career flourish over the years has been both impressive and slightly intimidating.

Coolidge, now a two-time Emmy winner for her role on HBO’s The White Lotus, has also appeared in films and shows including the American Pie franchise, Promising Young Woman, 2 Broke Girls, and The Watcher.

In A Cinderella Story, Duff played Sam, an orphaned teen navigating the cruelty of her stepmother and stepsisters while trying to uncover the identity of her mysterious pen pal, popular quarterback Austin (Chad Michael Murray).

The story ends with Sam achieving her happily-ever-after, inheriting her father’s estate, and finally outsmarting her fraudulent stepfamily.

Since the film, Duff has starred in Raise Your Voice, The Haunting of Sharon Tate, Younger, How I Met Your Father, and Gossip Girl. She is currently relaunching her music career with the album Luck… or Something, set for release next year, along with a corresponding tour.