Hilary Duff admits exhaustion over Lizzie McGuire after 65 episodes

Hilary Duff says she was exhausted by the role of Lizzie McGuire when the Disney Channel series concluded. In a recent interview with Paper magazine, the actress recalled feeling finished with the character after filming the 2003 movie.

Duff noted that she filmed 30 episodes in one year and 35 in the following year. She said the rapid rise to stardom meant everyone called her Lizzie. While filming the movie in Italy, she felt she needed to separate her identity from the character.

"I think I was just like, 'I'm fucking done with you,'" Duff said. "I want people to see me. This isn't fun anymore."

She described the period as a midway point where she decided she was never singing the show's theme song again. Duff explained that she did not feel ownership of the track at the time because it belonged to the show rather than her personal artistic identity.

The situation has changed with her 2026 release, the (Mine) EP. The project features seven newly re-recorded versions of her greatest hits. These tracks originally appeared as bonus items on vinyl copies of her Luck.. or Something album. Duff performed the song live for the first time on her Small Rooms, Big Nerves Tour this year.

Duff stated that singing the song now allows her to join in the celebration of its meaning to fans. She said she feels present in her body when performing now, contrasting that with how she felt back then. She added that she is glad the music resonated with people years later.

Lizzie McGuire debuted in January 2001. The series ran for two seasons and ended in 2004. The show featured Lalaine, Adam Lamberg, Jake Thomas, Hallie Todd, and Robert Carradine alongside Duff. The series concluded with a total of 65 episodes plus the final film.