Hilary Duff, best known for his iconic teen career, recently opened up about what life was really like behind the Disney spotlight.

He landed the Lizzie McGuire role as a kid, but what he remembers most is how his parents gave up their careers in Tennessee so he could follow his dream in LA. He says he’s still truly thankful for their support.

While talking on the Zack Sang show, he shared: : “My parents were still acting and writing. My dad wrote two episodes of Lizzie McGuire, but the focus definitely started to become giving me the best shot possible. I am super, super grateful and thankful that they did that for me. They gave me the best opportunity to get where I am today. It’s massive. Massive.

“I recongised too,that when I was following along on this success, they had to make sacrifices in their own lives to help support that. You’re a kid, you’ve got to have your parent there the entire time and they’re not getting paid to be there.

“My parents have never really talked about this, but they took [jobs] waiting tables, nightshifts, while I was on a TV show, just so that one of them was always earning income and keeping health insurance and stuff like that,” he added.

Back then, Jake was busy acting and didn’t realize how much his parents had let go of. Now, after years in the industry and a move into directing, he says he finally sees it and will always be grateful.

“Looking back on that now, I hadn’t realised that growing up, but they worked at the Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studios. I have memories of us going to Universal and meeting my mom, and she’d still be in her waitress uniform smelling of french fries and we’d pick her up from work go home.

“Now, looking back on that, I’m like ‘You went from being on TV, local celebrity to doing this…’ Sacrificing that essentially so I could continue my career. I can never thank them enough.”