Hilary Duff Says She Was ‘F—ing Done’ With ‘Lizzie McGuire’ When It Ended and Never Wanted to Sing ‘What Dreams Are Made Of’ Again: I Was ‘Exhausted By It’
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Hilary Duff says she was exhausted by playing Lizzie McGuire and, after filming the 2003 movie, wanted audiences to see her as herself. She also decided she would never sing “What Dreams Are Made Of” again, but has since changed her mind.
Duff re-recorded the song for her 2026 EP “(Mine)” and performed it live for the first time on tour this year. She says she now enjoys joining the celebration of what it means to fans and to her, whereas at the time she was trying to separate her identity from Lizzie and did not own the song. The series ran for two seasons and 65 episodes, ending in 2004.
- Sources
- 2
- Outlets
- 2
- Left · Centre · Right
- 0 · 0 · 0
In short
- Duff once wanted to leave Lizzie McGuire behind.
- She has re-recorded its best-known song.
- The series ended after 65 episodes.
How this story developed
- 60 minutes ago Hilary Duff says she was exhausted by playing Lizzie McGuire and initially wanted to leave the character behind after the 2003 film.
- 1 hour ago Hilary Duff says she was exhausted by playing Lizzie McGuire and, after filming the 2003 movie, wanted audiences to see her as herself. She also decided she would never sing “What Dreams Are Made Of” again, but has since changed her mind.
Full account
Hilary Duff has said she was ready to move on from Lizzie McGuire by the time she filmed the 2003 movie that followed the Disney Channel series. In an interview with Paper, she recalled having made 30 episodes in one year and 35 in the next, becoming widely recognised as the character, and feeling that she wanted audiences to see her as someone separate from Lizzie.
The film featured “What Dreams Are Made Of”. Duff said she had once resolved not to sing the song again, and noted that she did not own it at the time. She described herself as exhausted by the role and said the pressure to establish an identity beyond Lizzie made the experience feel less enjoyable.
Her relationship with the song has since changed. Duff re-recorded it for her 2026 “(Mine)” EP and performed it live for the first time on this year’s “Small Rooms, Big Nerves” tour. She said singing it now lets her take part in celebrating what it meant to fans and what it means to her. Looking back, she said she would welcome a chance to redo parts of the experience, while also expressing gratitude that the work has endured with audiences.
Duff played Lizzie in the series, which began in January 2001 and ran for 65 episodes before ending in 2004; the film was released in 2003. The show also featured Lalaine, Adam Lamberg, Jake Thomas, Hallie Todd and Robert Carradine. The seven-track “(Mine)” EP collects newly recorded versions of earlier hits, first issued as bonus tracks on vinyl editions of her album “Luck… or Something”. The source reports provide the same account and do not identify differing details or angles.
Explained simply
Lizzie McGuire was a Disney Channel comedy about a school-age girl, played by Hilary Duff, and the everyday ups and downs of growing up. It ran for two seasons, with 65 episodes, and was followed by a film in 2003. The show helped make Duff widely known, while its theme song, “What Dreams Are Made Of”, became closely associated with the series.
For a young performer, being strongly identified with one character can make it harder to be seen in other roles or as a person in her own right. Duff has described wanting distance from Lizzie after the film and feeling worn out by the song. Her later decision to record and perform it again reflects a changed relationship with a piece of work that remains meaningful to many fans.
Coverage · 2 sources
- VarietyHilary Duff Says She Was ‘F—ing Done’ With ‘Lizzie McGuire’ When It Ended and Never Wanted to Sing ‘What Dreams Are Made Of’ Again: I Was ‘Exhausted By It’
- Variety MusicHilary Duff Says She Was ‘F—ing Done’ With ‘Lizzie McGuire’ When It Ended and Never Wanted to Sing ‘What Dreams Are Made Of’ Again: I Was ‘Exhausted By It’
Celebrity Entertainment Film TV