Demi Moore Almost Quit Acting Before ‘The Substance’

By Emma Chance | Film | May 24, 2024 |

By Emma Chance | Film | May 24, 2024 |

Don’t call it a comeback, but Demi Moore’s star is shining bright again after a lull. On top of her recent role in Feud: Capote vs. the Swans and the upcoming “Brat Pack” documentary about hers and other actors of her generation’s rise to fame in the 1980s, she says she’s “humbled and excited” by the reception of her new film The Substance, which reportedly got an 11-minute standing ovation at its Cannes film festival premiere.

“It’s not like I ever officially left, but I understand the sentiment and appreciate it because there hasn’t been a project or a role that has come along that has been this dynamic for me to really dive into and sink my teeth into,” she said of her return. “I went through a period of even questioning whether this is what I should still be doing. In the last four years or so, I felt that it was a personal question that I wanted to explore and see. Was this where I should be putting my energy? When you plant seeds, you wait to see what grows.”

So, she related to the film’s premise—an aging actress resorting to desperate measures to stay relevant.

“Like the film, it doesn’t matter what’s going on outside of you, it has to do with what’s going on inside of you. Dealing with aging, feeling rejection, and also that external seeking of validation. There were aspects of it that I feel we’ve all had moments with…when you’re put out there to allow yourself to be criticized, it takes on a bigger life.”

She describes the film as “Dorian Gray meets Death Becomes Her and a Jane Fonda workout video.” Um…yes? It’s already getting Oscar buzz, which would be the first of Moore’s career.