Hilary Duff is finally saying the quiet part out loud: when The Lizzie McGuire Movie wrapped in 2003, she never wanted to sing “What Dreams Are Made Of” again — and she was completely over being Lizzie.
Character Name (Credits: Variety)
“I was pretty done with Lizzie at that time,” Duff told Paper magazine in a recent interview about filming the movie in Italy. “I had filmed 30 episodes one year and 35 episodes the next. I turned into a huge star. Everyone called me Lizzie.”
The grind of two seasons of the Disney Channel show that made her famous had drained her. “And then I went to Italy to film that movie, and I think I was just like, ‘I’m fucking done with you.’ I want people to see me. This isn’t fun anymore.”
Why Hilary Duff Says She Was Exhausted by Lizzie McGuire
For a generation that grew up with the animated alter-ego adventures and the Rome-set finale, the confession is a jolt. The movie — with its now-iconic concert performance of “What Dreams Are Made Of” — was meant to be a triumphant sendoff. Instead, Duff says it marked the moment she was “exhausted by it.”
Being called Lizzie by strangers for years took its toll on a teenager who had filmed 65 episodes in two years and become one of the biggest stars on television. The film closed out the show after just two seasons, but the character followed her everywhere.
Hilary Duff Sings ‘What Dreams Are Made Of’ Again on 2026 Tour
Time, it seems, has softened the sting. Duff re-recorded “What Dreams Are Made Of” for her 2026 “(Mine)” EP and sang it live for the first time on the “Small Rooms, Big Nerves” Tour this year — more than two decades after she walked away from Lizzie McGuire for good.
From “I’m fucking done with you” to a full-circle concert singalong: the Lizzie era ended on Duff’s terms, even if it took her 20 years to make peace with the song.
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.
