Hilary Duff says childhood stardom became proudest badge of honour

Hilary Duff has reflected on the lasting impact of her early career, saying she feels honoured to have played such an important role in the childhoods of millions of fans. The actress and singer said hearing people describe her work as a defining part of growing up remains one of the most meaningful compliments she receives.

Speaking in a recent interview with People, Duff said she proudly embraces the affection audiences still have for the projects that launched her career during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

"I hear that a lot from people, that I was an important part of their childhood, and I wear a badge of honour," Duff said, acknowledging the enduring connection fans have with both her acting and music.

Duff's rise to fame began with Casper Meets Wendy in 1998 before she became a household name after landing the title role in Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire in 2001. The coming of age series quickly became one of the network's defining programmes and turned the young actress into one of the biggest teen stars of the decade.

She followed that success with several popular family 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 career, Duff also established herself as a successful recording artist.

Her debut holiday album, Santa Claus Lane, arrived in 2002 before Metamorphosis became a commercial breakthrough in 2003. She later released Hilary Duff in 2004 and Dignity in 2007, producing hit singles including "Come Clean", "So Yesterday", "Wake Up", "With Love" and "Why Not".

More recently, Duff has revisited that era by returning to live performances. She first launched her Small Rooms, Big Nerves concerts in January before beginning THE LUCKY ME TOUR, marking her first major touring activity in well over a decade.

The concerts have given fans an opportunity to hear many of the songs that defined their younger years, while also introducing newer material. Duff revealed that performing the older tracks has been one of the biggest surprises of returning to the stage.

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

One of the standout moments on the current tour has been the inclusion of "What Dreams Are Made Of" from The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Despite its popularity for more than two decades, the song had never previously been part of her concert set list. Its debut as a live performance has become a nostalgic highlight for long time fans attending the shows.

Duff also spoke about reconnecting with audiences who have grown up alongside her. Now a mother of four, she said both she and her fans have experienced many of the same milestones since the height of her Disney Channel fame.