From her early beginnings as TV's Lizzie McGuire, 17-year-old Hilary Duff has added film actress, singer, and fashion entrepreneur to her repertoire. Duff sat down with Teen Vogue senior writer Lauren Waterman to discuss her career and it didn't take long for her feelings toward the tabloid media to come up.
Fall television and print advertising campaigns of Candie's will feature the star.
With Duff's growing fame she has had to learn to tolerate the attentions of the press, but she can't hold back, "I hate them, she says. "They follow you! I've had nine cars on me for six hours, no joke." She continues, "It's sick when the tabloids are criticizing people for what they wear, saying that they're not skinny enough. Everyone feels so much pressure to look a certain way." And regarding the obsessive chronicling of her love life, she adds, "Joel from Good Charlotte and I hung out in Toronto and then all of a sudden I read that we were making out everywhere, heavy canoodling. It's hard because it ruins the friendship."
Though life may be sweet for Duff by any teenager's estimation, it's definitely not simple. The tabloid trauma, she says, is "the worst part of the job." It makes enjoyable pastimes like shopping a chore. But she admits she can cherry pick from the latest collections by Marc Jacobs or Chanel when she does need a new dress. "I get so much that other girls don't," she admits.
Despite the impositions of the tabloids and the constant stalking by the press, Duff swears she would never quit. "Working is what makes me really happy," she says. It's like when she was a little girl, new to LA, going on three or four auditions a day, "I always loved the challenge of seeing how far you can get."
She's certainly not done yet. Duff is busy with two new film projects and plans to start touring in April to support her self-titled second album. One project ahead is a co-starring role with sister Halie titled Material Girls. "Halie is really funny," she says "Her comedic timing is crazy." The two will star as siblings who have a lot of money. Like the Hiltons? "You didn't hear that from me," Duff says with a coy smile.