Hilary Duff calls Jennifer Coolidge 'mean': 'A little scary'

Hilary Duff has looked back on her early days working with Jennifer Coolidge, and the experience was a surprising mix of intimidating and unforgettable.

In a new conversation with Variety, Duff revealed that Coolidge was “mean” and “scary” to her on the set of the 2004 teen classic A Cinderella Story, but only because she was fully committed to playing the villain.

“She was mean to me, so it was a little scary because I was only 15, and she was mean to me because she was my evil stepmother,” Duff recalled. 

At the time, Duff was a teenage rising star playing Sam Montgomery, while Coolidge, now 64, embodied the over-the-top wicked stepmother, Fiona.

“At the time, I had to be like, ‘You're filming a movie,’” she added, remembering how she had to remind herself that Coolidge's icy behavior was pure character work.

Despite the on-set intimidation, Duff had nothing but admiration for Coolidge's commitment, and her career since then. 

She praised her co-star's long-running success and the way Coolidge has transformed into a beloved pop-culture icon, particularly following her award-winning roles in recent years.

“It’s been so much fun to watch her career,” Duff said, noting how Coolidge’s performances have continued to captivate audiences.

“She just goes there in such a big way that it was really impressive and slightly intimidating as a teenager,” Duff concluded.