Veteran Hollywood star Demi Moore has spoken out about the struggles she faced while filming her new movie, The Substance. Speaking to reporters, Moore said filming was “intense,” and she fell ill with shingles immediately before it began. The illness caused her to lose 20 pounds, she said. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, and symptoms include a painful rash that usually appears on the torso.
The actress also spoke about her history in Tinseltown and how she went from the highest-paid female star in the 1990s to feeling like she did not belong in the movie business. During the production of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle in 2003, Moore filmed a bikini scene and later faced immense scrutiny about her body shape, causing her to reflect on her self-image and the place of women over 40 in the movie industry. “There was a moment, I have to say, where I started to wonder, is this really what I should be doing?” she asked.
Her new film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, was met with mixed reviews, but some critics suggested it may catapult the actress back to stardom and award nominations. Moore, aged 61, plays a 50-year-old woman offered the chance at eternal youth, but with hidden and horrifying consequences.
The Substance tackles some of Moore’s criticisms of Hollywood and its demand for perfection, with some describing it as a spectacular takedown of impossible beauty standards. Some critics called it the best performance of Moore’s career, which started in the 1980s with a role on the daytime TV soap opera General Hospital.
In the 1990s, she became one of the world’s biggest stars after playing the lead female role in Ghost opposite Patrick Swayze. Ms. Moore later starred in A Few Good Men and Indecent Proposal, propelling her to the status of richest actress in Hollywood.
Raised by a single mom in New Mexico, Demi Moore endured a childhood of instability, teenage sexual abuse, and drug addiction before her big break. In 2011, she launched a charitable organization aimed at tackling child sexual abuse and trafficking.
