Demi Moore talked about what it was like to take on a role that required several scenes of full nudity at the age of 61, a full 28 years after her iconic role in “Strip Tease.”
The famous actress stars in the body horror movie “The Substance,” and reportedly discussed the rawness of the role at the film’s Cannes Film Festival press conference, Monday.
“Going into it, it was really spelled out — the level of vulnerability and rawness that was really required to tell the story,” Moore told reporters, according to Variety, as she explained that she took on the role knowing what it would entail. Moore made history by breaking barriers for the iconic role. She earned $12.5 million for “Strip Tease,” effectively making her the highest paid actress in the 90s.
Moore explained what it was like to take on such a role in her older years, and what was done to make her feel comfortable about the experience, according to Variety.
“And it was a very vulnerable experience and just required a lot of sensitivity and a lot of conversation about what we were trying to accomplish,” Moore told reporters.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 06: Demi Moore is seen at the Dolce&Gabbana 40th Anniversary party on April 06, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Robino Salvatore/GC Images)
Demi Moore with short hair and wearing a spaghetti strap top, circa 1990. (Photo by Paramount Pictures/Getty Images)
Demi Moore’s first movie in Cannes, ‘The Substance’, got a roaring response at its world premiere Sunday. #cannes2024 pic.twitter.com/ly18ZKqGMk
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 19, 2024
The famous actress plays a role as a celebrity whose star isn’t shining very brightly, and her character uses a black market drug that results in a younger version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley. She spends time examining her nude body before diving in to drug use, and goes on to admire her nude transformation when Qualley emerges as the new body.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 06: Demi Moore attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 17: Demi Moore attends the “Kinds Of Kindness” Red Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2024 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)
Full-frontal nudity played an essential part in the film, and Moore said every effort was made to ensure she was comfortable with the experience, Variety reported.
Moore reportedly credited her co-star, and said Qualley’s approach to the nude scenes were critical in making her feel more at ease. “I had someone who was a great partner who I felt very safe with,” Moore told reporters.
“We obviously were quite close — naked — and we also got a lot of levity in those moments at how absurd those certain situations were,” she said, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Bruce Willis And Demi Moore’s Daughter Tallulah Shares Shocking Diagnosis)
“But ultimately. it’s just about really directing your communication and mutual trust.”
Moore’s film reportedly received a 13-minute standing ovation at the Cannes premiere.
