Demi Moore has described *The Substance* as the most liberating film of her career, saying it freed her from Hollywood's usual pressure to look flawless on screen. The 2024 body-horror film, directed by Coralie Fargeat, stars Moore as an ageing television star who is fired for being "too old" and turns to a black-market drug to create a younger version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley. The role, which required extensive nudity, marked a departure from earlier films such as 1996's *Striptease* and earned Moore her first-ever Oscar nomination.

Moore, 59, told The New York Times that going into the project she understood it "was not about me looking great," and that accepting imperfection in the role was itself freeing. She acknowledged moments of insecurity about her appearance on screen but said she felt proud of portraying both vulnerability and inexperience through her character, who is ultimately rejected despite not looking "that bad." She summed up the film's central theme by asking: "Would you trade your wisdom for a tight ass?"