Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore were two of the hottest teen pop stars in the early 2000s. They also grew up to enjoy successful careers as adults.
Moore recently starred as the mom of “The Big Three” in the popular NBC drama This Is Us. Her six seasons as Rebecca Pearson earned her multiple awards, critical praise, and millions of fans who adored Jack and Rebecca’s love story.
After taking some time off, Duff returned to acting as Kelsey Peters in the hit TV Land sitcom Younger from 2015 to 2021. She now stars as Sophie in the Hulu series How I Met Your Father.
Both actors are now mothers and great friends.
Growing up with Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore
Believe it or not, Hilary Duff “bombed” her first audition for Lizzie McGuire.
“But it was so cute and charming that it was like, OK, let’s bring her back,” executive producer Stan Rogow told Vice. “And she just kept on getting better.”
It’s hard now to imagine anyone else in that role. The Disney series became a phenomenon, and so did Duff, who was only 13 when Lizzie McGuire premiered.
The actor then starred in Disney and other mainstream movies such as Cadet Kelly, Cheaper by the Dozen, Agent Cody Banks, and A Cinderella Story.
Additionally, she was in a scandalous love triangle with fellow teen sensations Lindsay Lohan and Aaron Carter.
During that time, Many Moore burst onto the scene with her hit single “Candy” and debut album, 1999’s So Real. She followed with the song “I Wanna Be With You,” peaking at 24 on the Hot 100.
Moore soon began acting, playing a small role as a mean girl in the 2001 rom-com The Princess Diaries. Her first leading role was in A Walk to Remember. The 2002 coming-of-age romantic drama has become somewhat of a cult classic.
Read Related Also: ‘The Abyss’ Comes From a Story James Cameron Wrote in High School
Several years later, she officially became a Disney Princess as the voice of Rapunzel in the 2010 animated film Tangled.
Did Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore know each other as teens?
The early 2000s was a hectic time for the two teen pop stars. In 2003, they graced the cover of Vanity Fair’s “It’s Totally Raining Teens” issue.
They weren’t alone. Amanda Bynes, the Olsen twins, Alexis Bledel, Evan Rachel Wood, Raven-Symoné, and Lindsay Lohan also appeared on the cover.
“I remember being like, ‘This is cool. I was included in this.’ But, no, this was a very high-stress, anxiety-inducing day,” Duff revealed in a Vanity Fair video last year. “Also, Mandy and I are great friends now. So this is very funny.”
The two happen to be linking arms in the photo.
Moore is in Duff’s ‘Cool Mom Club’
Two decades after their teen sensation years, Mandy Moore and Hilary Duff have reconnected. This time, they bond over parenthood.
Duff and her husband, Matt Koma, are good friends with Moore and her husband, Taylor Goldsmith.
The Lizzie McGuire alum had her third child, daughter Mae, in March 2021. And Moore, who has two children, welcomed her older son, Gus, in February 2021.
“[Hilary and Matt] have a kid who’s six weeks younger than Gus. And so, we had babies at the same time,” Moore told InStyle. “And [Hilary], being the super-mom that she is, formed a cool-mom club. Somehow, I got invited into it, and it’s the best.”
Other members of the so-called club are Ashley Tisdale and Meghan Trainor.
“We all just gathered earlier this week and had dinner, and we have baby classes together, and it’s incredible. It’s so much fun,” the This Is Us actor added. “I’m very, very grateful to have those resources and just incredible women to be able to lean on. We’re all going through this chapter of our lives together.”
