Her Work

The girls' father, Bob, stayed in Texas—he is a partner in a convenience-store chain—but he flies to California every few weeks to spend time with his family. Soon after the move, Duff hit the audition circuit, trying out for every part she could find. She was cast as Wendy in the direct-to-video film Casper Meets Wendy in 1998. She earned a role in the television movie The Soul Collector and a guest appearance on Chicago Hope. Then, in 2000, Duff auditioned for the Disney Channel's upcoming new show, Lizzie McGuire. After appearing before the show's producers four times, Duff was hired. Rich Ross, president of the Disney channel's entertainment division, commented in Newsweek on the number of tryouts: "She wasn't doing anything wrong. She just wore such great outfits, and we wanted to see what she'd come in with next."