After Cadet Kelly, Duff hit the big screen in Agent Cody Banks, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Cheaper by the Dozen and A Cinderella Story. She later put her Disney days behind her with a recurring role in season 3 of the original Gossip Girl.

Hilary Duff revealed that she didn’t know Disney’s Cadet Kelly resonated with the queer community. If you were a tween in the early 2000s, you probably heard of Duff’s iconic Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM). In the film, the LGBTQ+ icon plays artistic teenager Kelly who’s forced to attend the strict George Washington Military Academy.

Cadet Kelly is a 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Hilary Duff and Christy Carlson Romano. The film premiered with 7.8 million viewers. It is Duff’s second starring film role, her first being Casper Meets Wendy. This was Disney Channel’s second film filmed in Canada.

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Cadet Kelly is a 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Hilary Duff and Christy Carlson Romano. The film premiered with 7.8 million viewers. It is Duff’s second starring film role, her first being Casper Meets Wendy.

Who is Hilary Duff?

Musical artist. Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, businesswoman, singer, songwriter, producer, and writer. Duff began her acting career at a young age and quickly became labeled a teen idol as the title character of the television series Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004) and in the theatrical film based on the series, …

Duff launched her first clothing line, ” Stuff by Hilary Duff ,” in 2004. The line was distributed by Target in the U.S., Kmart in Australia, Zellers in Canada, and Edgars Stores in South Africa from March 2004 until 2007. Duff in 2005.

The two-part project aired on MTV before the album’s release. The series reportedly took sixty weeks to complete filming, and saw Duff both recording and preparing for the release of Dignity.

Lizzie McGuire premiered on January 12, 2001, and became a ratings hit, with an estimated 2.3 million viewers per episode. Duff quickly became labeled as a teen idol and household name, particularly within the show’s pre-teen adolescent target demographic.

Duff made her feature film debut in Human Nature (2002), in which she portrayed the younger version of Patricia Arquette ‘s character. Duff also starred in the 2002 Disney Channel television film Cadet Kelly, which became the network’s most watched program in its 19-year history.

After appearing in the supporting role of Ellie in the television film The Soul Collector (1999), Duff received a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot (Supporting Young Actress). In March 2000, Duff appeared as a sick child in the CBS medical drama series Chicago Hope.

Duff was born on September 28, 1987 in Houston, Texas. Her parents are Robert Erhard Duff, a partner in a chain of convenience stores, and Susan Colleen (née Cobb), a homemaker turned film and music producer. Duff has one older sister named Haylie. She was raised between Houston and San Antonio, the locations of her father’s convenience stores. Encouraged by their mother, both Hilary and her sister enrolled in acting, singing and ballet classes. The siblings earned roles in local theater productions, and later participated in a touring BalletMet production of The Nutcracker in San Antonio. Increasingly interested in the pursuit of show business, the Duff sisters and their mother moved to California in 1993, while their father stayed in Houston to take care of his business. The sisters auditioned for several years and were cast in many television commercials. Due to her acting career, Duff was home-schooled from the age of eight. The pair also modeled for various clothing brands. Duff stated, “My sister and I really showed an interest in [performing] and dedication, and [our mother] was like, ‘How can I tell my kids no?’ It’s the same as kids that are going into sports. Parents support them and push them.”

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