Demi Moore’s New Film: “The Substance”
Demi Moore’s latest project, “The Substance,” set to premiere on September 20, delves into the darker aspects of aging, particularly for women in Hollywood. This dark comedy also embraces elements of body horror, centering on Moore’s character, Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging actress turned celebrity fitness instructor. The plot thickens as Elisabeth consumes a mysterious elixir that enables her to conjure a younger, more impeccable version of herself, presented in graphically intense detail. While the film initially unsettled me, it lingered in my mind long after viewing. It was particularly compelling to witness Moore, who has candidly shared her body image struggles and navigated life under the public’s scrutiny, inhabit this complex role.
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The actress opens up about how her perception of her body and fame has evolved over the decades spent in the spotlight.
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My fascination with Moore spans decades, beginning in 1985 with her role in “St. Elmo’s Fire.” Her distinctive husky voice and captivating screen presence—often embodying a wildness that balanced allure with a hint of danger—first captivated audiences. For a time, it felt like every film featuring Moore was a major cinematic event: classics such as “Ghost,” “A Few Good Men,” “G.I. Jane,” “Striptease,” and “Indecent Proposal” solidified her status. She eventually became the highest-paid actress in Hollywood and a pioneer for pay equality in an industry that often overlooked this critical issue.
Despite her visibility during my formative years, I felt I knew little about her until I read her candid 2019 memoir, “Inside Out.” The book begins at a tumultuous period in her life, detailing the fallout from her marriage to Ashton Kutcher and her battle with alcoholism. Moore’s early challenges stemmed from her upbringing as the child of a mentally ill and alcoholic mother. Much of her memoir dives into the extreme measures she took to control her body amidst the pressures of Hollywood, grappling with disordered eating and rigorous exercise routines. Now, at 60 and embracing her role as a grandmother, Moore reveals that she has finally found comfort in her own skin. With “The Substance,” she aims to challenge societal expectations regarding aging women in an industry that has both celebrated and scrutinized her.
In a recent conversation, I asked Moore about her former husband Bruce Willis, who is dealing with frontotemporal dementia. She shared that he is stable and doing well, all things considered.
Why did you agree to star in a film that explores a woman grappling with aging in Hollywood and her relationship with her body? It felt quite meta watching you portray this character.
For me, stepping into this role was surprisingly straightforward because I don’t see myself as her. This character is devoid of family and has devoted her entire existence to her career. So when that identity is stripped away, what remains? I found enough emotional distance from her, yet I deeply resonated with the pain and rejection she experiences. I recognized that it would be a challenging role, but I also believed it could be a significant exploration of an important issue.
What do you perceive that issue to be?
It’s not merely about what happens to us from the outside; it’s about the self-inflicted wounds we carry. It’s the violence we enact on ourselves, stemming from a lack of love and self-acceptance. Within the narrative, we encounter a male perspective on the idealized woman, which I believe many women, including myself, have internalized over the years.
