This is a lot more than a “Striptease.”
In Demi Moore’s new movie “The Substance,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the 61-year-old actress has her first full-frontal nude scenes of her decades-long career.
Speaking to the press, Moore described the newfound nakedness as “a very vulnerable experience.”
“Going into it, it was really spelled out — the level of vulnerability and rawness that was really required to tell the story,” Moore said, per 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.”
In the body-horror film, Moore plays a celebrity who uses a new drug that creates a younger version of herself which exists alongside her. Little Demi is played by Margaret Qualley.
“I had someone who was a great partner who I felt very safe with,” she said of her 29-year-old co-star.
“We obviously were quite close — naked — and we also got a lot of levity in those moments at how absurd those certain situations were… But ultimately, it’s just about really directing your communication and mutual trust.”
Moore has done onscreen nudity before — most notably in 1996’s “Striptease,” but “The Substance” is said to go far beyond that.
Outside of its headline-grabbing skin bearing, the film has been warmly received on the Côte d’Azur.
“The Substance,” which also stars Dennis Quaid, got a long standing ovation at its Cannes premiere. Depending on who you ask, it lasted 9 minutes (The Hollywood Reporter), 11 minutes (Variety) or 13 minutes (Deadline).
Quaid’s role was originally supposed to be played by the late Ray Liotta, who died in May 2022 at age 67.
At the festival, the actor paid tribute to the “Goodfellas” star.
“In my heart, I dedicated this role to Ray Liotta, who was set to play it,” Quaid, 70, said. “It was this week, two years ago that he passed, so I’d like to remember him. He was such an incredible actor.”