Hilary Duff is looking back on her transition from a childhood actor to an adult artist who just released her first album in a decade.
While speaking with Dan Macsai at the 2026 TIME100 Summit last week, the 38-year-old former Disney Channel star acknowledged her two-decade spanning career and her connection with the millennials that made up her fanbase.
“I have felt like it's actually one of my greatest joys that I've been able to impact people for more than 20 years in feeling like their friend or letting them feel less alone,” said the former Lizzie McGuire star, as seen in the video linked above. “[For] some reason my purpose here was to connect, and usually it's been a very positive thing for me.”
Duff also admitted that her interactions with fans brings up a mix of different emotions.
She said, “I would say—definitely in the gay community, a lot of kids saying, ‘You helped me overcome something that was really challenging’ … or ‘You were there for me,’ or ‘You made me feel seen,’ or ‘You stood up for me.’ That's always something that I wear like a badge of honor. But in general, I mean, I'm at the grocery store and people are like, ‘You raised me, mother. Hi!’
“It's so sweet and it makes me feel slightly old, but then I realize we're the same age, and I'm like, ‘I have been here a long time.’”
While discussing her recently released album, Luck... or Something, Duff explained that her ongoing success stems from more than mere chance.
“I've had a 25-year career, and definitely some low points, but a lot of high points. This record for me is a high point, and something I'm extremely proud of. How I got here was definitely some luck, but the ‘or something’ is like all the hard work and I wasn't always taken seriously. I'm not always taken seriously and I have a hard job, and I've done a lot of things that I'm really proud of.”
She continued, “Coming up as a child actor, it's hard to get out of that … I'm 38 and I feel like now I'm finally able to take agency in my life and make big decisions that I'm really confident in. Although I did before, there's just a level now where I'm like, ‘Oh yeah, I'm the adult in the room.’ Finally.’”
Duff is kicking off her The Lucky Me Tour on June 21 in West Palm Beach, Florida. She will visit major cities including Los Angeles, New York, before wrapping up the U.S. leg of the tour on August 9 at Philadelphia’s TD Pavilion.
