When Demi Moore took the stage at the 2025 Golden Globes to accept her award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for her role in The Substance, she began her speech with heartfelt vulnerability. She recounted how, before earning her part in The Substance, she had started to feel like nothing more than a 'popcorn actress,' a label she had received from one producer. However, portraying Elisabeth Sparkle in the 'magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers' horror-drama helped her reconnect with her sense of self and recognize 'the love that is driving me.'
These sentiments echoed what Moore expressed in her November 2024 ELLE US cover story, where she was recognized as one of ELLE's Women in Hollywood. She noted, 'I changed my body multiple times for different roles, and I think I chose those roles, whether consciously or not, to find some peace and self-love.' She added, 'And when I found that, it was only by truly surrendering and letting go of how things might appear to others.' Moore continued, 'The more I appreciate the lines at the corners of my eyes — the more I find beauty in the life I’ve lived — the more beauty my life holds.'
Full transcript of Demi Moore's speech:
'Oh wow. I really wasn’t expecting that. I’m just in shock right now.
I’ve been doing this a long time, like over 45 years, and this is the first time I’ve ever won anything as an actor. And I’m just so humbled and so grateful.
Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a ‘popcorn actress’ and, at that time, I made that mean that this [award] wasn’t something that I was allowed to have. That I could do movies that were successful, that made a lot of money, but that I couldn’t be acknowledged, and I bought in and I believed that.
And that corroded me over time, to the point where I thought, a few years ago, that maybe this was it. Maybe I was complete. Maybe I would—I’d done what I was supposed to do.
And as I was at kind of a low point, I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called The Substance. And the universe told me that you’re not done. And I am so grateful to [director] Coralie [Fargeat] for trusting me to step in and play this woman. Margaret [Qualley], for being the other half of me that I couldn’t have done without, for looking out for me. To the people who’ve been with me for over 30 years...all of the people who stood by me, especially the people who’ve believed in me when I haven’t believed in myself.
And I’ll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting is: In those moments when we don’t think we’re smart enough or pretty enough, or skinny enough or successful enough, or basically just not enough. I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know, you will never be enough. But you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.’
And so today I celebrate this as a marker of my wholeness and of the love that is driving me and for the gift of doing something I love and being reminded that I do belong. Thank you so much.'
