Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley’s dedication to their roles in The Substance was as intense as their performances.
In the Coralie Fargeat-directed film, Moore, 62, takes on the role of Elizabeth Sparkle, a once-glamorous Hollywood star and former aerobics show host who has just been fired.
After consuming “the substance,” Sue, a younger version of herself portrayed by Qualley, 30, emerges from Elizabeth’s spine and quickly becomes the industry’s latest sensation.
As Sue replaces Elizabeth on the fitness show, both characters become increasingly consumed by the pressures of fame and the desire to maintain youth.
The Substance is a visceral and emotionally charged exploration of aging, stardom, and womanhood.
Despite belonging to the niche body horror genre, the film has received widespread acclaim throughout awards season. It has earned five Academy Award nominations for 2025, including Best Actress for Moore and Best Picture.
Moore’s nomination comes over four decades into her acting career, and she is considered a frontrunner in her category after securing wins at the Critics Choice Awards, SAG Awards, and Golden Globes. Given her complete immersion in the role, the recognition is well deserved.
In an interview, Moore revealed the physical toll the role took on her, sharing that she developed shingles during her first week off from filming. “And I then lost, like, 20 pounds,” she disclosed.
The film required full-frontal nudity from both Moore and Qualley, as Elizabeth examines herself in the mirror before taking the substance, and Sue assesses her “new” body upon emerging from Elizabeth. However, Moore explained that physical appearance was never the focus.
“Part of what was attractive is I knew that this wasn’t about highlighting my [body] and being lit in my most attractive ways, that in fact, it would be amplifying those things that you might see as flaws or that you don’t want somebody to see,” she told USA Today.
Later in the film, as the substance’s effects begin to take a dark turn, Moore had to wear extensive prosthetics, requiring her to adjust her movements accordingly.
“Some of that challenged my logical brain,” she told Screen Daily. “I have a humpback and I’m completely degraded physically, but I can run like a bat out of hell.”
Meanwhile, Qualley had her own challenges while preparing for the film’s intricate dance sequences. She told that she trained on weekends “for a long time” before shooting. On one of her first days, Fargeat watched as she struggled with the choreography.
“I was just like, ‘I’ll be right back, I got this!’ I just went to the bathroom and started sobbing and [then] was like, ‘Do you think we could do this one-on-one for a while?'” she recalled. “It was really outside my comfort zone. I’m not a natural.”
She added that every day on set pushed her physically and emotionally, with the intense dance numbers—especially her high-energy workout sequence set to a cover of DJ Endor’s “Pump It Up!”—being particularly grueling.
Moore reflected on the film’s demanding nature, stating that the experience “really pushed us out of our respective comfort zones.” Qualley quickly agreed, replying, “I mean, understatement of a lifetime.”
