Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, model, producer and author. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she appeared in local theater productions and television commercials in her early childhood. Duff was established as a teen idol after being cast in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire and its motion picture The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003), in which she portrayed the titular character. She later appeared in feature films including Agent Cody Banks (2003), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), A Cinderella Story (2004), and Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), which are among the biggest commercial successes of her career. Duff has additionally appeared in numerous television series such as Joan of Arcadia, Ghost Whisperer, Law & Order: SVU, Two and a Half Men and also had an award-winning role in the third season of Gossip Girl. Other than that, she had also acted in several independent films with praised roles in War, Inc. (2008), According to Greta (2009) and Bloodworth (2011). Besides being a producer for a few of the movies she starred in, Duff has served as a voice actress for a number of animated features.