'The Lizzie McGuire Movie' Turned 15 & Hilary Duff Is Just As Nostalgic As You Are

Remember when Lizzie McGuire tossed a penny into the Trevi Fountain and subsequently proceeded to live out the sun-kissed Italian fantasy of her — and pretty much every other musically-inclined preteen's — dreams? In honor of the now-iconic film's anniversary, Hilary Duff recounted memories from The Lizzie McGuire Movie during a recent sit-down with The Hollywood Reporter, which the publication released earlier this week.

Those fans who spent the better part of the early 2000s wishing they could have half as much fun as Lizzie and her pals during their star-studded Italian rendezvous will probably feel satisfied knowing that, if Duff's recent comments are any indication, the movie's cast and crew had just as much of a blast behind-the-scenes as they appeared to be having on screen.

So, it's been 15 years since The Lizzie McGuire Movie forever solidified the mystical powers of the Trevi Fountain and its wish-granting abilities. For everyone out there who's feeling pretty ancient right now, you're not alone. Judging by Duff's recent interview comments, it seems safe to say she's feeling sufficiently nostalgic, too. "Oh my gosh. Has it been 15 years?" Duff asked the camera — ostensibly joking — at the start of the video interview.

For those who need a quick recap of the Disney-helmed 2003 film, which wrapped up the long-running tween comedy series of the same name, The Lizzie McGuire Movie chronicles the post-junior high graduation vacation of its title character and her friends. During the group's post-grad trip to Rome, Lizzie not only dabbles in the Italian romance of her wildest dreams — with an Italian pop star named Paolo, no less — but also manages to make her own musical dreams come true after having been mistaken for Paolo's performance counterpart, Isabella. As the film's tagline goes, this is the stuff dreams are made of.

It didn't take long for Duff to dive into her stacked repository of Lizzie McGuire-themed memories, though. In recounting her experience filming The Lizzie McGuire Movie (which was partly filmed on-location in Italy, where the film takes place), Duff told THR it was a "hard shoot," since filming in the Italian-speaking country meant "no one spoke English." Still, per the actor's comments, it doesn't sound like the cast and crew's filming experience was too arduous.

Of her most cherished behind-the-scenes tidbits, Duff chronicled one particularly priceless memory about The Lizzie McGuire Movie's film crew, who, apparently, spent many of their on-location afternoons indulging in some markedly Italian customs. "The crew would, like, go and drink wine in the afternoon and then come back to work, and no one would finish the workday," Duff said, wide-eyed, during the interview. Continuing, she called the overall experience "insane" and noted that, "It was so different than filming the show in America." As they say, when in Rome.

In addition to recounting the film's behind-the-scenes hilarities, Duff also spoke about those on-screen experiences that left a lasting mark on her (as in, a 15-year mark). From a fan's perspective, Duff's favorite moments probably fall pretty closely in line with those of the film's long-established enthusiasts: first, the catwalk, obviously; and, second, that dreamy vespa ride.

"It was really fun to be on the catwalk, and change clothes a bunch of times, and be in a bubble-wrap dress," Duff said, referencing the timeless scene from The Lizzie McGuire movie in which Lizzie struts down a chic Italian runway donning a variety of wonderfully bizarre ensembles — including, of course, the famed bubble-wrap dress.

And, unsurprisingly, Duff also cited her vespa-riding experience as one of her lasting takeaways from filming the 2003 movie. In recounting what has become perhaps one of the film's most recognizable scenes, which sees Lizzie gleefully taking a joy ride on the back of Italian pop star Paolo's speedy vespa, Duff said, "The back of the vespa was a really important moment for me."

As fans of the movie would probably agree, it was a pretty important moment for all of us.