A revenge like the one carried out by Demi Moore in the last year is one that we will remember for a long time. The sixty-two-year-old star who became a true Hollywood icon in the nineties, is still remembered today for the success of classics such as “Ghost”, “A Few Good Men” and “Indecent Proposal”; in addition to having occupied the tabloids of periodicals on several occasions about her past as a couple with ex-husband Bruce Willis.

Starting a downward phase after the negative outcome of the subsequent "Striptease" and "GI Jane", the diva's appearances have become more and more occasional, leading her to hope for a new opportunity that - in addition to media visibility - would highlight her artistic skills. After having impressed the public during the various international previews and having managed to create a sensation like it hadn't happened in a long time, the body horror "The Substance", written and directed by the French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, has conquered the press and the spectators with its shameless and irreverent criticism of the world of the star system.

In the co-starring role with Margaret Qualley, Moore gives an absolutely memorable performance ; the result of a talent that has remained unexpressed for a long time, but also of the anger of someone who wants to prove their worth against a discriminatory and devaluing system. During the last Golden Globe awards ceremony held on the afternoon of January 5 in Beverly Hills, Demi Moore took home the award for best leading actress in a comedy or musical, beating contenders of the caliber of Zendaya for “Challengers”, Cynthia Errivo for “Wicked” and the equally promising Karla Sofía Gascón for “Emilia Pérez”.

In her acceptance speech, she couldn't help but think back to when a producer called her "a popcorn actress" and she had to endure labels from those who didn't believe in her: "Thirty years ago, they told me I couldn't be recognized as an actress. I believed those words, and it slowly ate away at me over time. But then this magical, brave, extreme, original, and absolutely insane script called The Substance landed on my desk, and the universe told me I wasn't done."

Recalling the feeling she felt after receiving the part, she added: "This role reminded me that I still belong in this world and that I can bring value as an actress." Speaking for those who feel inadequate or unfairly judged, she finally said: "In those moments when we don't think we're smart enough, or beautiful enough, or thin enough, or successful enough, or just not enough, I had a woman who told me that I will never be, but you can understand the value of your work if you stop trying to measure it. I take it as a sign to understand that I belong in this world. Today I celebrate this award as a symbol of fullness and belonging."

The strength of this speech is inevitably linked to the considerations expressed in previous interviews. As happened last June during the promotion of “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”, Moore pointed out the tendency of the film industry to condition the assignment of roles based on chronological age, while noting that, finally, the panorama is slowly changing : «Something has changed. There has been an evolution, I would also say compared to when I was 40. Because when I was 40, but I didn't look like they imagined a woman at that age, they didn't know what to do with me. I didn't work much, because I wasn't 20 or 30. I think if we look at the deep core of the question, we are faced with this old idea that the value and desirability of women were linked to their fertility».

Talking about how femininity was associated with sex, she continued: “It’s like there was a shame attached to being sexual or having desire, because it was only tied to purpose and not independence. So I think as we’ve become more aware of ourselves and our bodies in this way, it’s reflecting on that shift. Who’s to say someone isn’t sexy? It was something that was really tied to that time in a woman’s life. I think we’re breaking those norms.”

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