It’s always nice to see a former Disney star not in jail and moving forward with their lives productively after their stint with the mouse.

While fellow Disney alums Lindsay Lohan and Demi Lovato have had far less smooth transitions away from the image-controlling monolith, Duff- who starred on the hit Lizzie McGuire- seemed to move with ease to both an adult life as well as a positively-received pop career. Now 24, the actress-slash-singer looks fondly upon her early days as a Disney star and her move to independent stardom:

“I had no inhibitions. It was fun for me to be goofy… Then I wanted to sing and that was new but I had so many fans by that point they were all supporting me so I was really confident. Now I’m a little older and I feel I need to re-learn some of those things. I have goals and aspirations but they kind of fall into what I’ve already accomplished. I feel like I still have work to do within things I’ve already dabbled in.”

Duff seems to have accomplished quite a bit at a time in her life when many of her contemporaries are still knocking around in grad school. The actress is also an author, with a trilogy of books in mid-release- which have gotten decent reviews. The second book in her Elixir trilogy- Devoted- is in stores now. On top of her multi-faceted career and literary ventures, Duff also married hockey star Mike Comrie last year, and the pair are now expecting their first child. Of her pregnancy, Duff muses:

“Being pregnant every day is a little bit different. Sometimes you’re feeling great and sometimes you just like could cry at the drop of a hat. I handle it as best as I can I think.”

Duff’s due date has not yet been revealed, but it’s thought the baby will arrive in early winter 2012.

Hilary Duff is Busy With Baby Plans and New Book is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hilary “Lizzie McGuire” Duff is returning to television in her own series on NBC.

Hillary has signed a one-year development deal with NBC that will see her getting her own series and appearances in other NBC shows. Details of the show are yet to be worked out.

Teri Weinberg, executive vice president of NBC Entertainment quoted by Reuters said Duff was “an incredibly versatile talent with a huge following.”

Hilary Duff signs with NBC for new TV show is a post from: The Inquisitr