Hilary Duff reveals she was done with Lizzie McGuire

Hilary Duff has opened up about her complicated relationship with her iconic character Lizzie McGuire, revealing that she once felt exhausted by the role and never wanted to sing the show’s famous theme song again.

The 39-year-old actress and singer reflected on her experiences as a young star, explaining how the demanding filming schedule and the character’s enormous popularity made it difficult for her to establish her own identity beyond the Disney series.

During a recent cover story for Paper magazine, Duff recalled the intense pace of production, which saw the show complete 30 episodes in one year and another 35 the following year. The demanding schedule left her feeling overwhelmed as she navigated the challenges of growing up in the public eye.

By the time she filmed The Lizzie McGuire Movie in Italy in 2003, Duff had reached a point where she desperately wanted to move beyond the character that had made her famous.

Looking back on that period, the singer admitted that she had grown tired of playing Lizzie and remembered thinking that she was completely finished with the role.

Duff explained that she was eager to establish herself as an individual rather than remain permanently associated with the fictional teenager. Despite becoming a major star through the series, she found it difficult to separate her real identity from the character audiences had come to love.

“I turned into a huge star. Everyone called me Lizzie,” she recalled.

Her frustration also extended to the show’s memorable theme song, What Dreams Are Made Of. At the time, Duff was so exhausted by her association with the series that she made a firm decision never to sing the song again.

The actress also reflected on the unusual experience of transitioning from a child star into adulthood. Growing up while constantly being recognised for a character created challenges as she attempted to discover who she was outside the entertainment industry.

However, Duff’s feelings about her past have changed considerably over the years. The singer has since embraced the song that she once wanted to leave behind, finding a new connection with its meaning and the memories it holds for her fans.

She now performs What Dreams Are Made Of during her Small Rooms, Big Nerves Tour, allowing audiences to revisit one of the most memorable musical moments associated with her early career.

Duff also re-recorded the song for her 2026 extended play, Mine, marking another significant step in reconnecting with her musical history.

Reflecting on performing the track as an adult, she explained that the experience now feels much more meaningful than it did when she was a teenager.

The singer acknowledged that she had not fully understood herself during her younger years, making it difficult to connect personally with the music she was performing at the time.

“When I perform it now, I’m like, oh, I’m in this,” Duff said, describing how her perspective has evolved.

She added that she now appreciates being part of the celebration surrounding the song and recognises what it has meant to listeners, as well as what it represents in her own life.

Duff’s latest EP, Mine, features seven re-recorded tracks that originally appeared as bonus songs on vinyl editions of her 2025 album, Luck… or Something.

Her renewed appreciation for What Dreams Are Made Of highlights how her relationship with her early work has evolved. What once represented the pressure of childhood fame has become an opportunity to celebrate her career, connect with longtime fans and embrace a defining chapter of her life on her own terms.