In a new interview with Bustle, the How I Met Your Father actress said that her time playing Lizzie McGuire on the hit Disney Channel show continues to affect the way people perceive her.
Hard Times
Hilary explained that the reason she and her character have so much in common is because she took on the role at such a young age.
“I was too young to do a character dive on Lizzie,” she said. “I think I was just playing myself. And I really related to that girl. She was me, and I was her, and that was that.”
But as she got older, being compared to Lizzie became a source of frustration.
“I was like, ‘I’m me! I’m Hilary, not that person. That’s a made-up person,’” she shared.
“It was a desire to be seen as a person outside of a character. By the time I was 18, I was like, ‘If I hear that name [Lizzie McGuire] one more time!’”
As for whether she felt pigeonholed because of the character, the actress replied: “Of course. I still am.” She recalled getting rejected at auditions because people felt everyone only knew her as Lizzie McGuire.
She Appreciates the Character After All
However, Hilary said that despite the pressure she experienced, she still has a soft spot for the character.
“I’ve obviously had to think about [Lizzie] a lot. The lines get so blurry between me and her, and I think they are for the world, still. And they probably always will be. I think just accepting that has brought me a lot of peace,” she shared.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t have a backbone, and I don’t have a drive, and I don’t have a vision. I have all of those things.”
She continued, “Now I’m like, ‘I love her.’ She’s the greatest. She made everyone feel good.”
