At the age of six Hilary Duff began touring with the Cechetti Ballet, decided to become an actress and began heading to auditions.

She won a role in "The Soul Collector" (released in 1999) and received rave reviews for her work. After a role in "Casper Meets Wendy" (1998), she was cast as the title character in the television series "Lizzie McGuire" (2001). "Lizzie" was an instant hit, and propelled Hilary to international stardom. "Lizzie McGuire" the movie, released in 2003, grossed an impressive $42 million domestically. Hilary also appeared in "Agent Cody Banks" in 2003. She starred in "A Cinderella Story" (2004), co-starring Chad Michael Murray, in 2003. Additional film credits include: "Cheaper by the Dozen" (2003), "Human Nature" (2001), and TV shows "Cadet Kelly" (2002) and "True Women" (1997).

Hilary Duff is now a freshman at Harvard, but hasn't stepped foot on campus.

"I just started my first day of college on Monday [Jan. 31]. I'm taking on-line classes for Harvard University," she writes Friday, Feb. 4 in her official website diary. "The teachers film their lectures then link it to the web and I can watch them teach and take notes from my computer."

Hilary Duff was a guest star on the CBS show, "Joan of Arcadia" and plays Dylan Samuels, a catty classmate who undergoes a change of heart after Joan saves her life. The one-hour episode of "Joan of Arcadia" aired Friday, January 28. Hilary Duff was photographed with her bodyguard wearing a black wristband with "Joel" inscribed on it, fueling rumors that she's dating Good Charlotte's 25-year-old frontman Joel Madden.