Demi Moore had to film 45 “very difficult” takes of a “heart-wrenching” scene in her new movie, “The Substance,” after being faced with her own realities of aging, she said in a Variety interview published Tuesday.
In the forthcoming horror movie, Moore portrays Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading celebrity who comes across a black market drug that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
In one chilling scene, Moore’s character is getting ready to go on a date and keeps going back to the mirror to apply and then remove and reapply more makeup due to fears of looking old.
The “Ghost” actress, 61, agreed with the film’s director, Coralie Farfeat, that something “broke” inside her while filming the emotional sequence.
“It was very difficult,” Moore admitted to Variety, adding, “It’s one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the film.”
Moore explained that everyone can relate to “trying to make ourselves look better” when really one ends up “making it worse and worse.”
“Coralie likes to do a lot of takes, and my face was just raw,” Moore recalled. “I got to a point where I couldn’t do it anymore. And Coralie still wanted one more take.”
That’s when Moore said the makeup artist “stepped in” and said, “‘We’re done.'”
The “Striptease” star noted that filming the scene involved a “certain kind of madness.”
“There are three setups to that scene, and easily 15 takes for each,” she said. “Also, 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.”
Despite the challenges of that scene, Moore is proud of where she is in her career now that she’s older.
“It’s not hugely different before and after,” she said. “But it gave me a greater appreciation for myself as I am. One of the biggest themes of my career is challenging preconceived ideas and limitations. I’m at a point where I’m writing my own story, as opposed to my story being dictated to me based on my age.”
Moore furthered that age shouldn’t limit anyone’s abilities.
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“Who says somebody can’t look a certain way or do certain things? Your 60s is not what your 60s used to be,” she said. “There’s a part of me that’s enjoying figuring it out as I go along.”
The Emmy nominated actress shared that she felt she had “more challenges” during her career in her 40s than she does now.
“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.”
Moore believes that Hollywood has shifted over the years and now offers more roles for middle-aged women.
“We see so many more interesting roles for women who are 40 to 50 — what I would call “young women,” she 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.”
“The Substance” also stars Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid and premieres Sept. 18.