Texas Sexy Girl

Duff was born in Houston, Texas, far from the glitter and glamour of Los Angeles. She knew from a young age, however, that she enjoyed performing. She studied gymnastics and ballet, and when her older sister, Haylie, began taking acting lessons, Hilary joined her. At age six Duff joined a touring production of The Nutcracker ballet, and she also acted in local commercials as a youngster. She earned her first television role in 1996, in the miniseries True Women, which aired the following year.

Once Haylie and Hilary began getting acting jobs, they persuaded their parents that they had to live in Los Angeles if they were to have any chance at a career in the entertainment industry. During the late 1990s, despite her declaration in Newsweek that she "never wanted to be a stage mom," Susan Duff drove her daughters, their possessions, and their pets from Texas to Los Angeles.