Demi Moore has opened up about the intense experience of filming a particularly challenging scene in her upcoming horror film The Substance. The 61-year-old actress, who plays Elisabeth Sparkle—a once-celebrated figure who encounters a drug that temporarily restores her youth—described the scene as “one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the film.”
In this pivotal scene, Moore’s character is seen preparing for a date, obsessively applying and reapplying makeup in a desperate attempt to hide the signs of aging. Moore revealed to Variety that she had to endure 45 takes of this emotionally taxing scene, which took a significant toll on her.
“It was very difficult,” Moore said. “It’s one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the film.” She explained that the relentless pursuit of perfection, as directed by Coralie Fargeat, took her to her breaking point. “My face was just raw,” she recalled. “I got to a point where I couldn’t do it anymore. And Coralie still wanted one more take.” It was only when the makeup artist intervened and called for the end of the shoot that Moore was able to stop.
The actress reflected on the scene’s deeper meaning, describing the experience as a “certain kind of madness.” She noted that the process of repeatedly looking in the mirror and critiquing oneself can feel like an endless cycle of worsening self-perception. “The idea of looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing only what’s wrong—it’s like you’re seeking to make yourself uglier, so you can look how you feel,” Moore said.
Despite the grueling shoot, Moore expressed pride in her career trajectory, particularly in her ability to challenge age-related stereotypes. She emphasized that growing older should not limit one’s potential or visibility in the entertainment industry. “Who says somebody can’t look a certain way or do certain things?” she questioned. “Your 60s is not what your 60s used to be.”
Moore also discussed the challenges she faced in her 40s, noting a lack of clear roles for women in that age bracket. “At that time, no one quite knew what to do with me,” she said. “I wasn’t 30, but I wasn’t 40 in a way that people could comfortably identify me as a mother, etc. There was no place for me.”
However, she is optimistic about the changing landscape in Hollywood, observing that there are now more roles available for women in their 40s and 50s. “We see so many more interesting roles for women who are 40 to 50—what I would call ‘young women,’” Moore said. “The Substance is harsh in how it tackles the entertainment industry, its judgments, and its beauty standards. But it’s also throwing this idea that a woman’s desirability ends with her fertility in Hollywood’s face.”
