As Demi Moore scooped her Golden Globe award yesterday, she took a moment to reflect on the central message at the core of the film that landed her the accolade - something that arguably had helped it resonate with so many.
Moore recalled how, 30 years ago, a producer had told her she was merely a ‘popcorn actress’, which proved to be harsh words that ‘corroded’ her over time.
“I was at kind of a low point, and then I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called The Substance,” she said.
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“And the universe told me that 'you’re not done’.”
Moore, 62, clearly wasn’t done, taking home her first Golden Globe more than four decades after making her debut in cinema.
The fact that it was for a movie about an ageing celebrity resorting to drastic measures to stay relevant in the industry perhaps makes it all the more poignant.
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“I’ll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting,” she continued.
“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.”
But Moore’s stance pre-dates her involvement in the hit body horror.
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In fact, there’s something she’s been doing - or rather, not doing - for years as a means of silent, powerful protest against the showbiz world that’s not always been too kind to her.
While Moore is known these days for her long, luscious locks, in the past she’s happily embraced whatever a role has demanded, having most famously shaved her head entirely for 1997 flick G.I. Jane.
However, that willingness is long-gone, as she uses her own appearance to reclaim the power that is all too often in the hands of Tinseltown execs.
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"I remember hearing someone say that when women get older, they shouldn't have long hair,” she told People back in 2022.
“And something about that stuck with me.
"Like who says? It made me feel like, well, if it can grow and it's not unhealthy, then why shouldn't we? I'm not comfortable with rules that don't seem to have any real meaning or justification."
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She’s stuck to her word, choosing now to just go for ‘regular tiny trims’ as her free-flowing hair tumbles past her shoulders at glitzy awards dos, surrounded by others who’ve opted for the stiff up-dos their age might dictate.
We’re often fed the idea that there are certain things people - especially women - should or shouldn’t do as they grow older, but bowing to such pressures can often have the adverse effect.
And while Moore’s hair may, yes, also be the enviable sartorial choice of someone who can afford every serum, dye, oil and balm under the sun, it’s also a powerful message that you can, ultimately, do whatever the f**k you want.
Topics: Celebrity, Golden Globes, Hair, Beauty
Jess Hardiman