How old was Demi Moore in G.I. Jane? Actress reflects on her age while discussing heart-wrenching scene in The Substance

American actress Demi Moore, 61, said that she struggled to film a moving scene in her upcoming film titled The Substance. Speaking to Variety on Tuesday, September 3, the actress explained how the scene made her face a reality she had not yet come to terms with because of the demands it made on her both physically and emotionally.

Having played the role in G. I. Jane at the age of 34, in The Substance, Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle – a disbanded star who stumbles across a drug that aspires to make people young again after it injects her with a fantastic lookalike of herself.

The movie belongs to the horror genre, and Moore finds many layers of meanings in the movie, such as beauty, aging, and the standards set by society to achieve a youthful look as stated in the Interview. There is one scene, as said in the interview, that the actress found quite profound; she had to do 45 takes of a scene where her character is regularly powdering and wiping off to avoid looking old.

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Demi Moore endures the emotional toll of filming exhausting scenes in The Substance

Speaking about the filming process Demi Moore stated that it was very difficult especially because the scene itself was one of the most tragic in the whole movie. Speaking to Variety, Moore said:

"It was very difficult."

"It's one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the film."

Demi Moore detailed that everyone can relate to "trying to make ourselves look better" when really one ends up "making it worse and worse."

The director of the film, Coralie Fargeat, is particularly famous for paying much attention to details and taking many shots to get the perfect one. Demi Moore said that 45 takes later her face was becoming tender because of constant putting on and washing off the make-up.

"Coralie likes to do a lot of takes, and my face was just raw," Demi Moore recalled. "I got to a point where I couldn't do it anymore. And Coralie still wanted one more take."

He said that it was only the makeup man who managed to stop the shoot of the scene as he noted that the scene could only be shot with "a certain kind of madness."

Although the scene produces a lot of physical and emotional stress, Demi Moore said that she feels very proud of what she has become in her career and life. Looking at her age and experience, Moore said that she has learned how to accept herself as she is in her career.

"It’s not hugely different before and after," she stated. "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."

Demi Moore added, that the age of someone shouldn't limit their abilities.

"Who says somebody can't look a certain way or do certain things? Your 60s is not what your 60s used to be," she stated. "There’s a part of me that's enjoying figuring it out as I go along."

When she hit her 40s, the Emmy-award-nominated actress noted,

"At that time, no one quite knew what to do with me," she stated. "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."

But at the same time, she admitted that the industry has evolved over the years, coming up with more scripts that feature middle-aged women.

"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."

Demi Moore's upcoming horror film The Substance tackles themes of aging and beauty standards. The film is set for release later this year, and Moore continues to explore roles that challenge societal perceptions of women in Hollywood.