Off the Cuff with Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff is the one starlet people are routing for. The singer/actress/brand doesn’t drink and drive or get caught by paparazzi with no knickers on. She’s an upstanding, hard-working 19-year-old--Hil turns 20 in two weeks—who actually displays a little dignity, which just so happens to be the title of her latest album.

While the Texas native has been acting far longer than she’s been before a mic, the former Lizzie McGuire star has sold more than 13 million albums since 2002.

In 2005 alone, she reportedly earned $15 million from movies, music and auxiliary businesses, making her one of Forbes’ richest people under 25. But Duff still seemed pretty down-to-earth when she sat stopped by Toronto’s Air Canada Centre for an interview with AOL Canada a few hours before her concert, laughingly asking her army of handlers and publicists, “Are you guys all going to stay here?”

What do you think has enabled you, versus a lot of other people, to have two simultaneous successful careers?

Hard work, I guess. I think anything’s possible, so I’m a big dreamer and I work really hard and I have a great team of people around me that help keep me organized and keep me focused.

At one point your music was heading in an edgier direction with Most Wanted (2005), perhaps because of Joel’s influence (Madden of pop-punk band Good Charlotte, her then-boyfriend) and now it’s more dancey and pop. Are you still trying to find what your sound is?

I think it’s the other way around. My music before, the lyrics weren’t edgier, but the actual music was a little more rock-influenced. Then when we worked on music together, Joel and I, it was kind of dancey — ‘Beat of My Heart’ is like this techno song. It’s definitely pop, but it’s more dancey. Then the same with ‘Wake Up.’ After that is when I wanted to make more of a dance record and get away from that pop-punk sound.

So what would you want to do for the next one?

I always want to do something different. I was thinking about it the other day. I want to make a dual-sided record where I can make a dance record and then do an acoustic something because I crave both. I love all different kinds of music and I would love to get to do something really simple and lyric-driven with acoustic guitar, but also I love dance music.

You have these pint-sized fans literally doing cartwheels while waiting for your concert to start. Do you ever worry, ‘How can I make an album so these kids will grow with me?’

It’s definitely something that has gone through my mind a couple of times, but I’m not going to let it restrict me. I’ve got to be myself and I’ve got to be true and honest and hopefully they’ll understand and I think they’ll grow with me. I don’t want to be concerned or pinned down by that.

Do you have any upcoming collaborations?

Not at this time. There’s one rapper that did a song with me. His name is Prophet and he’s from the Bay Area. He’s an up-and-coming rapper. I do this song on my tour called ‘Reach Out’ which is obviously a sample from Depeche Mode [the actual song is ‘Personal Jesus’] and it’s pretty cool. W we’re going to be releasing that as a single soon.

What do you think is your biggest accomplishment to date?

[Long pause] Probably the amount of records I’ve sold. That’s exciting. I feel like an actor; I don’t feel like a singer.

And your hope?

I want to be able to continue to do both. I want to be able find a fine balance and I want to be a fashion designer [her clothing line is called Stuff] and I want to travel the world and continue singing and I want to make movies that make me work hard and that I can be proud of.

I’m all over the place.