More than 20 years after A Cinderella Story made its theatrical debut, Hilary Duff reveals she was scared by an “intimidating” co-star.
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While speaking to Variety, Hilary Duff spoke about working with Jennifer Coolidge, who played her “evil stepmother,” Fiona, in the early 2000s teen rom-com.
“It’s been so fun to watch her career because she just goes there in such a big way that it was really impressive and slightly intimidating as like a teenager,” Duff said about Coolidge. “She was, like, mean to me, so it was a little scary ’cause I was only 15 and she was just, you know, mean to me ’cause she’s my evil stepmother.”
She then said, “At the time, I think I had to be like, ‘You’re filming a movie. You’re filming a movie.'”
A Cinderella Story follows Hilary Duff as Samantha Montgomery, a teen who is routinely exploited by her stepmother and stepsisters after her father’s death. Despite her family, Samantha remains optimistic about college and meeting “Nomad,” whom she met in a Princeton chat room.
While attending her high school’s Halloween dance in disguise, Samantha encounters “Nomad,” who turns out to be the most popular boy in her class, Austin Ames (played by Chad Michael Murray).
Following a series of unfortunate events, including being embarrassed in front of the entire school, Samantha overcomes all obstacles and learns she has been admitted to her dream school, Princeton. She also discovered that all of her father’s fortune, kicking her stepmother and stepsisters out of her home.
Austin also gets into Princeton, despite his father’s wishes. At the end of the movie, Samantha and Austin head off to college together.
Hilary Duff Previously Spoke About Her Favorite A Cinderella Story Moment With Jennifer Coolidge
While appearing on Watch What Happens Live in 2023, Hilary Duff spoke about her favorite scene with Jennifer Coolidge in A Cinderella Story.
“My favorite moment was her rubbing salmon on her face while filming A Cinderella Story and talking about the omegas,” Duff said. “My son actually started eating sushi when he was like 3 and had a similar moment, and I looked, and I was like, ‘You’re just rubbing raw salmon on your face.’ And it’s, like, soft, and he liked it, then it reminded me of her. She’s just everything.”
She then praised Coolidge by calling her former co-star a “lovely human being.”
“I’m really proud to see her moment,” Duff continued. “I think it just reminds me that, being in this industry, I feel so lucky that anything can happen at any stage. It’s so dope.”